Title: Like It Like That
Author: Yih
Disclaimer: All rights are JK Rowling, just borrowing the characters for some slashy goodness!
Warning: This is slash! M/M relationship! Don't bother flaming since this is your warning, got it?
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4: Life is Unexpected (July 21, 2003)
"But I am dying," Harry murmured in a listless voice, a dead and detached voice. It was the voice of a man that had given up on life, on trying to find a solution. It wasn't that Harry wanted to die, quite the opposite, but he knew it was pointless. He was going to die, and it was only a matter of time. He was sorry though that Draco had learned to care for him in his own way. It was going to be harder on Draco, and god knew that Harry hated hurting people. "There's nothing that can be done."
Draco didn't loosen his hold on Harry's fragile and frail body. Instead, he drew away just enough so that he could tilt his head down and press his lips softly against his lover's. There had to be a solution to this nightmare. There had to be something that could be done. He wasn't going to let Harry die on him, not if he could prevent it. No, there had to be a way so that Harry would live--- so that Harry wouldn't die.
Harry couldn't die, not when Draco had admitted to himself that he cared--- that he might possibly love the prat.
In this kiss, he poured all his passionate feelings into it. But this time, unlike the other times, this kiss was passionate in a loving and gentle manner that he'd never shown Harry before. It wasn't what they were both after, they'd been after satisfaction and well that was what they'd gotten. Somehow along the way, Draco had grown to care for the Boy Who Lived. That was what he infused into every fiber of the kiss. He wanted Harry to know.
"There is something that can be done," Draco muttered fiercely as his tongue flicked over Harry's bottom lip sensually. "There has to be something."
"There is nothing that can be done," Harry repeated his response ragged, the kissing having taken the very core of his being out of him. This was a kiss he'd never expected from Draco, not in a million years. It was a kiss that he'd always wanted to feel. Fire and passion and love. It was all that, and it held a promise in it. A promise that was unfortunately delivered too late.
Despite what he'd said, that it was only about fucking each other's brains out--- Harry did care about Draco. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have stuck around for 6 months. It was more than good shagging, much more--- they had become friends and well, that was all Harry really allowed himself to thing about. Nothing more, because it'd hurt too much. But now Draco was making him think about it, especially with a kiss like that.
And yet, Harry thought he'd be afraid of something like that coming at the point in his life that it was coming at. But he wasn't. He wanted to seize it while he still had a chance, even if it was selfish of him to do so when he knew he was dying. "Make love to me," he whispered into Draco's ear delicately. "Make love me, please."
Just hearing those soft words murmured sexily into his ear had Draco rock hard in no time at all. But there were more important matters than shagging Harry even if it sounded sweet, like finding out how to fix the problem. "No time," Draco mumble back, "we've got to figure out how to help you. If there's anyone that can, it's Severus. He knows everything about light and dark magic. He's sure to help you."
"No," Harry moaned, resting his lips against Draco's neck where he was softly sucking on the supple skin, "make love to me, Draco. Please. I don't have much longer. I want to… spend it with you."
Draco's breathing hitched at the last words. Was it possible that Harry cared for him? "Why?"
Drawing in a ragged breath, Harry wrapped his arms weakly around Draco's waist. "There's something about you that makes me burn," Harry admitted. "There's something about you that ignites life into me. I don't love you, but I like being around you."
It was more than Draco thought to hope for; it only made his desire for Harry increase tenfold. The ache in his groin was unbearable, but he wasn't about to lose anymore precious time that Harry obviously was crucially short on. No, his lust could be satisfied later. It was more important to find the solution and to make his Harry back to the Harry that he had unwittingly fallen for.
"I'm falling for you," Draco confessed in a soft voice. "Falling hard, and I'm not going to let you die on me. Do you understand me, Harry? You are not dying on me, not if I can help it."
"You're falling for me?" Harry asked with a catch in his voice, like he didn't believe that Draco could fall for him. He didn't want to believe it; he certainly didn't want to know that was the case. He hated hurting people. It was the reason that no one knew, that he hadn't told anyone. He wanted everyone to be happy for as long as possible, and as long as he was the only one hurting--- it was all right.
"Yes," Draco answered raggedly. "I'm falling you, you prat. And you're crazy if you think I'm going to give you up when I've found you. I've told you several times, you're mine and no one takes away what's mine. Not even death."
But there was no choice. Death was coming for him. It was almost there. It was too like Draco to get his bloody arrogant Malfoy fixation again. But didn't he see? It was hopeless. Even Dumbledore hadn't know what to do other than to research. And experiment. There was no solution to this, nothing.
"And a Malfoy always gets what he wants."
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"You cannot reverse the curse," Severus repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time to his godson. "There is no counter curse. If there was, I would know of it. Other than your deceased father and the vanquished Voldemort, no one has more knowledge of the Dark Arts than I."
There was a stony stubbornness on Draco's face that said he wasn't going to be taking that as the answer he wanted his ears to here. On Harry's face, there was a passive acceptance. Their reactions shocked Severus, though no more than when Draco had barged into his dungeons and promptly forced Harry to tell him the whole details of the dark curse that Voldemort had placed on him.
But it was clear that Draco cared deeply for the Boy Who Lived, as much as it seemed the antithesis of everything that Draco use to believe in. Yet, Draco had changed after the War, everyone had. No one more than Harry, Severus observed with perceptive eyes. The young man was more grave and more detached than he had ever been before. This Harry Potter, Severus Snape found himself admiring. This Harry Potter accepted his fate.
"There must be a way to reverse this!" Draco cried out vehemently. "He can't just die!"
Severus raise his hand up in a way that told Draco it would be best for him to get control of himself. "There is no way to reverse the curse. But there is something that can be done to extend Harry's life."
In Draco's eyes there was determination and the willingness to do whatever that it took. But even Severus didn't know if Draco was willing to pay the price, for it was a hefty price. It would certainly confirm for him that his godson had change quite a bit for the arrogant spoiled brat that he'd been before. In Harry though, he saw something that was unexpected. There was a spark of life, a hope that hadn't been there before.
"What is it?" Draco asked. "Tell us! What can be done?"
"It requires sacrifice," Severus phrased his words delicately and carefully. "It requires devotion. It definitely requires a bond."
"Go on," Draco urged, not the least put off by what Severus was saying not if it meant that Harry could be saved. "Get to the point, Severus."
"If you bonded with him," Severus began with all severe solemnity, "you could theoretically transfer your magical energy into him to sustain his draining. Of course, it would cut your life shorter since eventually you won't be able to keep reviving your own magic to the degree to keep you both alive. I don't even know how much longer it will prolong Harry's life, but that is the only option that I see. In your own right, Draco, you are a very powerful wizard. One of the best candidates."
"But not the best," Draco remarked bitterly. His godfather was a better candidate than he was, not that Severus would give up his life for Harry either. Was he even prepared to do that? His silver eyes shifted to Harry's emaciated form and while he didn't know if he was ready to die for his lover, he knew that he didn't like to see Harry suffering. He certainly cared about Harry, but did he love the Boy Who Lived?
"You know," Harry interrupted softly, when he saw that Draco and Severus were going to continue without letting him having any input, "I won't let you do this, Draco. You don't love me, and I don't love you. Why should you do this? It's my time to go. It's not like I'm any use to anyone anymore. I'm ready to die, even if I don't want to."
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Author's Note: How do you like the only solution that I came up with? Hopefully, this met up to everyone's expectations! ^_~ We're more than halfway home. This story is scheduled to be 7 chapters. Review, some insight is always highly appreciated. Thanks!
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Thanks to soph, Rings of Saturn, Kat, blublogamera, Fatty, YG, DeathStryke, HPIceAngel, NayNymic, luin-lote, RiverWhiteDragon, GG2, SilverDragon, Eaiva le Fay, m hopper, Silvrei, HEDWIG, BlackUmbridge, Voltor, random carrot-top, light-hearted69, KittenBabygirl, Eggroll, covetous creature, agent069, M69, wintermoon, and Ice Lupus.
Tempest: Thanks! I'll try to keep up w' expectations.
Malfoy Snogger: Well, Harry's a bit off his rocker 'cuz he's dying. Mood swings you know.
Quickjewel: [snickers] Cliffies are good!
Luc Yinx: Judging from my other stories? Possibly, I'm not afraid to kill a character.
Abraxis: That's what I see Draco as. I think everyone is capable of love that still believes in life ;p. Of course, that doesn't mean Draco's a good guy either.
