Rating: this feels like a Pg:13
Pairing: yup HARRY/ DRACO all the way baby *sticks out tongue* they're not underage. So there. It *is* slash ppl I cant make that any clearer. Plz if u don't like it – don't read it.
Summary: it's 7th year and two people are in love, but neither know it. They both have one last chance. Will they take it?
Feedback: plz plz plz plz plz plz plz if you read it tell me what you think???? I REALLY need the encouragement =P thanx muchly
Thanks to: Fanny_chan (hehehe that's for me to not know yet and you to find out), bean (heh thanx =D), Aezy (dw! A rainbow always follows the rain), coconut-ice agent h/h (can u tell me bout the name? And lol dw happy ending story) and eMJay (well shucks, sweet talker) LOVE U ALL =D
In general – I love all my reviewers =D you cant no how much ur reviews brighten my day, really, ppl tend to look at me a little strangely when I dance around the room huggin myself . . but its worth it =D MERRRRRRRY XMAS!!
A/N – I thought I had this story clearly marked as slash as in MALE / MALE LUURVE !!!!!! and so any one who chooses to ignore my warnings and attack my writing can take their homophobic arses for a long walk of a short pier.
- as long as this liddle plot bunny don't get sidetracked, then WE R IN HAPPYVALLEY NOW KIDDIES lol yup I'm pretty sure the agnstiness is behind us. The boys FINALLY get a clue in the chappies to come but um maybe not in this one . . .lol sorry. *shakes head* finally.
- Oh and if ne one is looking for a little respite from angst, I'm writing a comedy called Cupid Gone Crazy in which Neville turns into cupid and the usual chaos ensues! Enjoy!
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~ A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words ~
That night was unnaturally still, all the sounds of small animals, of the wind, everything hushed as if the night itself was holding it's breath, anticipating . . . something. There was not a cloud in the sky and the stars shone like diamonds on black velvet. The full moon hung low and heavy in the sky, watching over the world and casting a pale, surreal glow on the shadowed grounds of the castle. All the inhabitants of Hogwarts castle lay fast asleep in their beds, tucked up safely and oblivious to the ancient power that made the air thick and cloying, tingling and sparking with magic . . . not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse . . . but something was about that night.
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Harry's pale form lay tangled in the heavy bed covers, arms and legs sprawled in all different directions, tossing and turning and only managing to twist himself deeper into the muddled mess his bed had become. The moon shone through a break in the velvet curtains around him, illuminating his fevered face with a white glow. Harry's head tossed on the pillow, his raven hued silken hair feathering out across the pristine white linen. His eyes screwed tightly shut; Harry was making strange strangled mewling noises, his body restless and fidgeting as his fevered mind lost itself in the land of dreams . . .
. . . He was lost. He had become confused and lost his way in a land of so many twisting roads, dead ends, unexpected turnings and unknown dangers. He was lost in a vast and lonely maze of towering black stone, a blood red sky hung low above him, no sun to show him the way just an eerie, shimmering mist. From beyond the walls he could hear *things* scritching and scratching, sometimes he caught glimpses of strange creatures, slimy hands, sharp claws, beady eyes, staring at him from cracks in the obsidian walls, from dark holes in the uneven ground beneath his feet.
The heat was oppressive and seamed to cling to him, slowing him down as he ran, stumbling and stuttering around corners and over bumps and humps in the uneven stone ground, weeds pooping up in his path to trip him, tumbling to scrape a knee or an elbow, mind numbed by the pain and fear of the unknown. And yet as he ran a chill wind seemed to push at his back, cooling the fear-sweat and making him shiver with more than cold.
He ran on in the semidarkness, his mind wild and his feet stumbling in their haste. He ran deeper and deeper into the twisting labyrinth, searching for an escape from the *something* he knew was just behind him, around the last corner, fallowing fast on his heels, panting for him, a danger he could not fight and, it was becoming increasingly clear, could not hope to out run. He had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, and no one to run to. He was all alone in this strange hell-place.
Turning a last corner, he stumbled and fell face first to the hard, dusty ground. Lifting his head wearily, he opened gritty eyes to find himself transported to a different place, a beautiful oasis. The sky was clearest blue, a warm sun riding high and shining golden light down upon the hidden garden. Everywhere he looked was lush, verdant vegetation; wild, leafy vines clung to the red brick walls, thick, luxuriant grass covered the ground, now cushioning his exhausted body, beautiful, jewel-bright wildflowers scattered here and there. At the centre of the courtyard stood a marble fountain; an exquisite elf like creature, spouting crystal water seemed to wink mischievously at him.
Rising unsteadily to his tired feet, he dusted himself off. Turning in an amazed circle he viewed the paradise he had unwittingly stumbled upon with wide eyes, taking in the beauty in which he was now surrounded. Finally completing a full circle, he jumped in surprise as he saw someone standing behind him, facing away from him so that only the back on the head was visible. The person before him seemed strangely familiar, an annoying tickle of memory made itself known at the back of his adrenalin riddles mind. Silver-blonde hair like solid moonbeams, shining like a halo of bright silk in the sunlight. A slim body, pale and well defined, long limbed and graceful, well known, well studied, easily recognisable. His beloved.
Draco stood before him, turned away but still there with him, a link to love and reality, calming him in this strange, unknown world. He was no longer alone, Draco had come to be with him, to save him. Laughing aloud in joy, he reached out a loving hand to touch Draco's arm, intending to turn him around and embrace him. As soon as his fingertips brushed soft skin of his love's arm, he was shocked by a fierce heat that seemed to emanate from the skin, too hot for human skin. Pulling away his burnt hand, he cradled it to his chest, staring with wide, disbelieving eyes as Draco turned to face him.
It was not his love, but some strange and soulless copy. The normally ice blue eyes were a burning, smoky red, without pupil or iris, windows of nightmare, portals to hell. As he watched in stunned horror, a single, shining obsidian tear slid from one eye to tumble town the pale face, shattering on the ground with a noise like a scream of pain. Where the tear fell, a crack appeared, spreading and spidering out until the courtyard garden was riddled with them; thousands of fractures in this fragile landscape, peeling away the façade of serenity, revealing once again the terrible labyrinth.
As the last vestiges of paradise faded around him as his oasis crumbled and burned away, Harry fell to his knees and let out a chilling scream or fear and pain.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO . . . . . .
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The room was dark and silent, the air heavy and thick with magic and the smell of fear-sweat. The only sound that could be heard were the grunts and murmurs coming from the twitching body that lay entangled in the red velvet bed covers. The only light came from a sliver of pale moonlight visible through the window in the cold stone room. Harry only became more agitated, restless, twisting and turning as if trying to outrun some dream danger until finally he stilled for a moment, only to thrash like a wild animal a moment later, emitting a strangled whisper.
"Noooo!"
As if this whisper was some sort of incantation, a summoning spell, something began to gather around his prone body. The air thickened, alive with power, with magic, almost sparkling, sparking with it and those sparks gathered around Harry's sleeping form. Light. Magic. Almost tangible power gathered round him, encasing him in a mist of shimmering, solid moonlight. The mist swirled and shone, growing, sending tendrils out to touch the rest of the room, to investigate, looking for something. The bedpost. The trunk. The desk. The pillow. And finally the desk beside the bed. The mist grew to a cloud of silver light blanketing the room, cooling Harry's fevered brow, leaving little sparks to shine for the moments after it dissipated, fading away, floating out the door and gone. Never seen, never known, but it had accomplished its purpose.
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. . . Harry lay on the stony ground, head held in his hands, despairing and terrified. Of being alone, of being lost, of being without hope. The burning flow of tears leaked from eyes squeezed close in anguish, branding him with shame. Draco could never love him. He had failed Draco. Draco would fall to darkness because he had never had his love. Draco would know the coward he was. Draco hated him. Draco. Draco. Draco. Oh Gods.
Rocking back and forth, Harry drew his knees up to his chest and laid down his head, refusing to meet the horror that awaited him, his fate, alone forever. Suddenly he felt a cool hand caressing his forehead, calming, soothing, loving. Harry opened his eyes to find a slim, pale hand with long elegant fingers, manicured nails, soft but undoubtedly male. With disbelieving eyes Harry looked up to find himself staring in to the eyes of his beloved, his *true* beloved, pale skin, hair like moonbeams, silver blue eyes and all. Draco. *His* Draco.
Grasping the hand that reached for him, Harry rose to his feet, marvelling at the beauty that surrounded him. This was no terrifying black labyrinth, nor a fake garden of poison delights. It was The Grove, strangely lit by moonlight, a billion stars bright in the sky above them, lending the place a silver, surreal glow. But this place was real enough. The place where he had last seen Draco, what he had thought of as his personal hell, but now that Draco was here, looking at him with love in his eyes, it was heaven.
Draco smiled a soft, warm smile, nothing like his usual sneering smirks, but genuine, just for him. Draco's eyes radiated peace and contentment, showering Harry in love and warmth, welcoming him home. With words as soft as his smile, as powerful as his love, Draco spoke -
"My Love, My Heart, My Soul."
- and Harry found himself embraced in two strong, pale arms, the emotion palpable, surrounding him like the arms of his beloved. Harry could not speak, tears tightening his throat, burning his eyes. Instead, he simply curled his arms about Draco's slim waist, picking him up and holding him high, twirling him in the bright moonlight, laughing aloud in indescribable joy. Harry had found his soul mate, and their love would be the stuff of legends . . .
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He lay silent and still like the dead on his bed of green velvet. His mind lost in the land of dreams, leaving his body motionless in the cold stone room. In sleep, as in the rest of his life, he kept his thoughts and emotions deep inside, his dreams locked in the depths of his heart. Deep beneath the grounds, there was no natural light, the only illumination in the room coming from a small bedside lamp, spilling golden light to warm his pale features in artificial sunlight. Draco scoffed at those who did *not* fear the darkness, for they were surely foolish. There is everything to fear in the dark. But where there exists the potential for absolute evil, there exists an equal opportunity for true miracles to do their work. He dreamed there in the darkness, strange and clear so real as to make him doubt reality . . .
. . . Draco had flown on wings of love and hope to the castle, prepared to risk all in the hopes of winning Harry's affections from whoever his secret lover was. They were soul mates and a little embarrassment, when he inevitably announced his love to the school, could deter him. As he entered the castle, he was momentarily blinded as his eyes adjusted to the darkness but then set off for his room, anticipation making his steps quick and light. Racing through the hallways, Draco's thoughts were on all his plans for the future and he kept picturing how Harry would react to his public declaration. Dear gods, he hoped Harry could find love inside his heart for one lonely man.
Shaking his head at himself for the sentimental thoughts, Draco turned around the corner, not noticing jus who was standing there before it was too late . . . . he remembered this scene . . . he remembered the pain . . . and yet something was different . . . he seemed to be . . . early? . . . the lovers had not yet embraced. Watching, silent and attentive, Draco's eyes grew wide in surprise, his heart grew heavy with hope, his soul grew light with joy.
"Hermione, I love you . . ."
It was like a stab to the heart, a painful knife twisted deep. The words he longed to hear, the words he would never have for himself.
" . . . You're my best friend!"
Draco almost fainted. Harry loved her. AS A FRIEND. And that was definitely something Draco could live with if it meant that he could be Harry's lover, share his heart, share his life and share his soul. Although he would never admit it, Draco was giddy with joy. He tuned out the rest of the scene as it played on, he knew how it went anyway, and instead tried to absorb all that he had learnt. Draco knew how this terrible scene had ended last time, he still felt the pain, but now he knew it had ended the *wrong* way. He had been given a chance and by the gods he would take it.
When Hermione left, Draco stayed and watched, his heat contracting in love and empathy as Harry sighed and turned away to walk alone. Alone, but not for long. Draco walked after him, not running but walking fast enough to catch him and look mildly casual . . who was he kidding. Giving up any chance at retaining his dignity, Draco all out ran, robes flapping and feet slapping on the old stone as he finally caught up with his beloved.
"Harry! Wait!!"
His raven-haired love turned at that breathless plea, a look of confusion on his face. He appeared calm, distant and . . . cold . . .unspeakably cold . . . unfeeling and uncaring, like Draco was a bug crawling along the ground. Dirty. Worthless. Beneath him. Draco shuddered and hugged himself, shivering as if on the receiving end of an icy wind, not an icy glare.
With a long suffering sigh Harry drawled "What is it *now* Malfoy?"
"I . . . l-love . . . you" Draco trembled in fear. This would not work. Harry hated him. Loathed him. *Despised* him. He felt his fragile heart, newly mended crumble into tiny fragments, black rubble, filling his chest, chocking his lungs, he couldn't breathe he COULDN'T BREATHE!!!!
This difficult confession seemed to amuse Harry as he smirked, looking Draco up and down and then . . . just laughed . . .and laughed . . .a high, maniacal, hysterical cackle and Draco felt as if he was shrinking getting smaller and smaller, and . . . it was either that or Harry had some previously unknown giant blood because Draco found himself an inch from the ground, looking up and a towering, madly laughing figure with beloved raven-black hair. He watched in horror as the giant-Harry lifted one enormous foot and, smiling in pure, malignant joy, brought it down to crush his bug-like self.
All was darkness.
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The castle was silent, not even the wind daring to whistle through the stone hallways. Something was about this night, something powerful and ancient a magic that permeated every room and corridor, steeping the old stone in a magic that surpassed any it had known before. From up in the towers, something moved through every inch of the castle, spreading and blanketing all in a fine golden mist, a blanketing fog that held secrets within it, sparkling with power it travelled down through every room, sending tendrils searching for . . . something . . .
The golden mist spread, expanded into every nook and cranny of the old stone walls. Golden mist enveloped the astronomy tower, the class rooms, the storage rooms, the common rooms, the Great Hall and finally a lonely long corridor somewhere amidst it all.
And there it stoped.
The mist faded, leaving the castle, leaving the grounds and leaving the mortal world. Vanished in a moment, tiny tendrils, golden, silver sparks, there for but the blink of an eye (if any had been awake to see it) and gone the next. Whatever it had come to do was done, and the mortals were once again on their own.
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. . . The expected blow did not come, or if it did it was not felt, instead Draco lay, staring, terrified, into the darkness behind his eyelids. So afraid, so very afraid of everything, of the world, of the darkness, of . . . himself. If Harry, an angel fallen to earth, could not love him, then how could anyone? That . . . thing . . . could not have been his Harry but how could he truly know how the *real* Harry felt – just because he didn't love Hermione didn't mean that he loved Draco, or that he ever could.
Warily, Draco pried his eyes open, gazing at the world through narrow slits. Something was wrong – he saw no stone, nor a giant foot – he was no longer in the castle. Draco had no fear though, nothing could be worse than seeing that look of malicious glee on his beloved's face. A look that *he* was famous for, a look that should never grace that angelic face. Opening his eyes fully, Draco stared around himself in confusion. He must have died. Even as he marvelled at a painless and swift death, Draco became suspicious – if he had died . . .where was the fire and brimstone? The little men in red pyjamas? The pointy sticks? And where was his father . . .
Shaking his head in disbelief, Draco wondered what he could have possibly done to deserve this, to deserve . . . heaven. Or at least as close as it probably got. He had said that The Grove was heaven, and it appeared he was right. The Grove was beautiful, peaceful and almost perfect even without the fluffy white clouds and abundance of white. But, once again, it seemed that this heaven was missing the most important thing . . . or was it . . .
Shaking with breathless hope and fear that he was wrong, Draco turned around, desperately searching every corner of the flower-strewn clearing. No. No. No. No. Wait – There!
Something – someone was huddled at the edge of the clearing, rocking and sobbing like a lost little child under shade of one of the ancient trees that ringed The Grove. Not just "someone" he noted after a glimpse of beloved raven hued tresses. Not just someone – but Harry. But Draco could not be happy that his beloved was near for long, Harry was obviously upset, terrified and distraught, and Draco could never be happy if his beloved was not. He needed to do something. Now.
Not even thinking, but acting on pure instinct, Draco stepped forward and stretched out a hand to sooth the frantic man, he desperately tried to calm his beloved, stroking his face and laying his cool hand against the burning forehead. Harry seemed shocked by this, but at least he stopped rocking. He was still as a stone, calmly studying the hand before him before lifting his head to meet Draco's eyes. At the sight of those emerald eyes, Draco felt his knees go weak, he saw in those clear pools an emotion he had only dreamed of seeing. Love. Hope. Joy. The mixture was enough to make him catch his breath, tears pooling in his own ice-blue eyes.
Harry grasped his outstretched hand, rising gracefully to his feet to meet Draco face-to-face. Draco didn't even think about it, couldn't have controlled it even if he had, but just let everything he was feeling shine forth from his eyes. And that seemed to be enough. He could not control the joy building within him, the joy that manifested itself in a radiant smile, the joy that he say reflected back at him in the eyes of his beloved. Harry was here, he was here, and here was heaven. Draco knew the time was right, already knew the reaction he would get and so spoke the only words he could. He spoke the truth, claiming his soul mate and offering up his heart in return.
"My Love, My Heart, My Soul."
He embraced Harry, holding him close, trying to convey the truth of those words, and just how inadequate they were. And amazingly, Harry seemed to understand, returning the embrace and then lifting him high, twirling him round and round in the warm golden sunlight. They laughed and cried at once, joy washing the pain away and giving their hearts wings.
Looking down at the beautiful face of his beloved, Draco knew he had found his soul mate, his home, and he knew with a certainty that warmed him that they would be together, through everything, in love, forever.
And that was all he could ask for, his heaven, wherever they were.
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yeaahh baby that's a TBC and don't think u no everything! Love blooms in the darkness, never acknowledged in the light of day . . . next chap – the morning comes.
A/N's – I *finally* got in some happy . . .wrapped in a whole lot of angst BUT IT WA THERE!
- ummm im thinking theres 2 more chapters maybe another for an empilogue or somfin.
- Wotchya think? R/R!!!!
- That was a long chap . . .woop I never no wots gonna happen when I start writin . . .sure as hell wasn't expectin that =P
- MEEERRRYYY CHRISTMAS (in 2 days)
- As a special xmas pressie – im gonna try and get this finished by the big day 4 u all . . .=P arnt I nice? Lol
- Hmmmmmmmm I wonder if ne one knows wots gonna happen? *raises hand* *jumps up and down* I DO I DO heheheh and u will 2 . . soon
- Seriously does ne one no how to remove reviews????? Ish velly confusabumbalating heh