DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters mentioned and I'm not making any money out of this. Only the plot is mine.

WARNING: This fan fic contains slash themes, which is male/male relationships. If homosexual themes bother you, don't read this.

Rated: R, not really worth it yet but I'm anticipating events to come ;)

Chapter 6

Softness surrounding me, like a lullaby sung from angelic lips. Rich harmonies with deep, resonating undertones. My movements are slow and sluggish, and I can't move any faster because that would break the spell.

Softness enveloping me, flowing from feather-light touches that escape my reach. Every brush of your skin against mine sends echoes that spread to my fingertips and then drip off them, seeping into the air around us.

I'm living through your breath on me; it's all I can hear. Each moan that escapes your lips fills me with an ecstasy no man ever felt before, sending urgent signals to my brain and body. Tears fall unbidden from my eyes as the beauty stares adoringly at me.

I dreamt of you again last night and all there was, was silence. Silence roaring in my ears until I couldn't take it anymore, and I woke. I'll dream again of you tonight. Dreams of pure falling petals, shadowed by death and soaked in the blood you stole from me.

One day, I may have a happy dream of you.

One day, the darkness will go away.

One day, you won't leave after kissing me. I can still taste you.

**********

Draco was now officially in hell. He'd let his guard down and kissed Potter, in the vain hope that it would relieve the intensity of what he was feeling. It hadn't worked, because now he had the memory of the softness of Potter's lips on his, the way his body had felt, pushed against his; yearning and straining for more. Now Draco had to deal with immensely pleasurable but frustrating fantasies about what may have happened if he hadn't pulled away. He knew he'd done the right thing, but that didn't help with the new sensory memories he now had. He shouldn't have kissed Potter.

To make things worse, he now had to go and see Snape. He really wasn't in the mood to relive the previous summer, but he knew Snape would ask. He sighed as he made his way to Snape's office, his mind full of the memories of Potter's lips from the night before. He knocked gently on the door, vaguely hoping that Snape had forgotten their meeting and he would be able to return to his room, so he could pace and snap at people like he had been doing all day.

"Come in." 'No such luck then.' He thought gloomily. He opened the door and visibly grimaced as he entered. He would never get over the horrific décor of this office. 'Why does Snape find it necessary to surround himself with such gruesome objects?' he thought, as he noted some new additions to the collection. He had a huge respect for the man, but he really needed to hire a decorator.

"Good afternoon Mr Malfoy." said Snape, not bothering to get up from behind his desk.

"Hi sir" said Draco nervously. Now that he was here, he really just wanted to leave.

"Professor Dumbledore has been to see me." Snape began. "He thought you might benefit from talking to me."

"Oh, yes. OK."

"Well?"

"Er, well what sir?" Snape sighed and his shoulders sagged visibly.

"Mr Malfoy, Draco, we are going to have to learn to trust each other."

"I do trust you sir" answered Draco truthfully. "I'm just not sure what you want to know." 'Oh yes I am. I just want to see if you're brave enough to ask me. Here's where I see if he really trust me.'

"I see." said Snape. "I have been informed of certain changes in your, shall we say, attitudes towards certain political issues. Would you like to inform me of the reasons for this? I say this in the hope that you are not about to violate everything that Lucius has brought you up to believe in, merely on a whim."

"Why do you do it?" Draco was pushing Snape farther than he had ever thought he was brave enough to do. Snape flinched at his question, clearly not expecting it.

"Why do I do what?" he asked icily.

"I know that you're a Death Eater. I also know that Voldemort doesn't trust you as far as he could throw you and trust me, I've seen his arms, that's not far. They're using you as a pawn in their master plan and you need another spy. Do you think my father tells me nothing?" Snape appeared to consider Draco for a long time, and his response was cagey to say the least.

"Professor Dumbledore appears to trust you, despite your family's well-known affiliation with the dark arts. I have been your head of house for over five years now, and it is plain to me that the physical likenesses you bear to your father are where the similarities between you end. You have a mercenary nature Draco; you are out to look after yourself and your own interests. I fail to see how betraying your father can be anything but totally against your own nature." Snape was testing him and Draco knew it, he just wasn't sure what the correct answer was. He had never considered Snape to be particularly astute when judging the characters of those around him, but the accuracy of his description stunned him.

"It's a long story." he said sullenly.

"Well luckily for you, I have plenty of time" said Snape silkily.

"It's because of my wish to protect myself that I feel I have to do this." Draco began. "Voldemort has already affected my life. Changed things; changed me; destroyed the only truly beautiful thing in my life. I've met some of my father's friends; they're all Voldemort sympathisers you know. Some of them were so consumed with hate and bitterness they couldn't think straight; didn't understand even the smallest consequences of what they were doing. Voldemort did that. I don't want it to happen to me. I don't want him to destroy my life as well. If that means defying my father then so be it. I really am the only one who can help you now." he finished defiantly. Snape was silent for a while, then he looked Draco straight in the eye.

"What happened to you over the summer Draco?" he asked quietly. 'Dumbledore must've told him.' Draco thought numbly. He looked away as the memories flickered through his mind's eye. He felt sick and dizzy, his throat constricted.

"It's…the memories they're…" he whispered. Understanding flashed over Snape's face. Draco realised that Snape had probably seen and done things much worse than he had, and he had to face those memories every day. He drew strength from the though that it was possible to carry on and began to speak.

**********

Darkness surrounded Harry.

He didn't know where he was. He'd spent the afternoon blindly wandering through the halls of Hogwarts. He hadn't bothered with his lessons; Professor Binns wouldn't miss him anyway. The room he was in had no windows. It was dark and dusty, smelling slightly of mould. The walls were a dark green colour, and they reminded him of Draco. Everything seemed to remind him of the blond boy. The night before he'd wondered numbly back to his dorm, no longer caring about getting caught, no longer caring about the world outside. He didn't care that Lupin was dead, he didn't care that there were things that people weren't telling him. All he could think about was Draco. Draco's lips against his, Draco's body. His hot breath on his skin and the way their hands had fitted so perfectly together. He'd never known something to feel so right but so wrong at the same time.

He'd fallen asleep there and now had no idea what the time was. He didn't care. He hadn't seen Ron or Hermione all day. He hadn't been to visit Hagrid in days. He hadn't heard from Sirius. He didn't care about any of these things. He sat in a daze, not really thinking. Staring into space and trying to ignore the pain. He wanted to go back to that moment in the corridor with Draco, when he'd turned away from him; said those things to him. He wanted to shout and scream, proclaim his love, say something, anything that would have made him stay. Then he realised that nothing he said would have made any difference. Draco had made up his mind that this was all for the best. He was going to walk away from this without ever knowing what could have happened. Deep down though, Harry knew what would happen; he knew it just as well as Draco did and it was killing him.

Voldemort had tainted their world. Without even knowing it he'd destroyed Harry. Harry was meant to be the strong, fearless hero; the one to save the world and every other cliché in it. Draco was destined to be a Death Eater. He would follow in his father's footsteps because it was his duty and there would be nothing Harry could do to stop him. Not even love could save him. Draco had been raised to believe in Voldemort's ridiculous dogma, he'd been indoctrinated with ideals which preached violence and hatred and there was nothing Harry could do. Draco knew it. Harry knew it. Eventually, it would destroy them because there are some things that love cannot conquer.

Darkness surrounded Harry.

**********

"Lucius. You were successful?" the high-pitched voice grated on Lucius' mind.

"Yes my lord. I have the ring."

"And it will work? You are sure of this?"

"Oh yes. It will work. All you need is Potter's blood." Lucius couldn't help but keep the self-satisfied lilt from his voice.

"And I hope that will not be a problem."

"Oh no. My son is well placed to perform that simple task."

"And I presume there is no need to doubt your son's loyalties to me."

"Absolutely not. He has been…well trained."

"I'm sure he has Lucius. My faithful servant." The voice hissed. A greying hand gripped the old, straight-backed wooden chair as the thrill of Harry Potter's impending demise ran through him.

"In a month's time, the Order of the Phoenix will be no more and Harry Potter will be dead."

"And my son? What of Draco?"

"If he proves himself worthy, he will become one of my most trusted followers."

Lucius couldn't help the smile that spread across his cold features.

**********

Such utter sadness pervades my being.

Melancholic sounds filled with pain

Sooth my heart.

Stubbornly, my blood continues to flow

Oblivious to the screams

Continuing the agony.

I remember everything about you.

How you ripped out my heart

Then locked it away.

The climax is reached, the music is finished.

The audience has left.

All that remains is you. And me.

A/N: I'm just writing faster and faster aren't I? Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, especially those who said I deserve more recognition. I think so too!! I need, just NEED those reviews to boost my confidence! Only joking, it just brings a smile to my face knowing that at least some people are enjoying what I write. One question though, do you ever think it feels a bit confused or rushed? I can't tell.

And Caitlin sweetie, I'm sorry but the ending's still gonna be the same. I'M SORRY!!

Reviews are always welcome…go on, you know you want to.