Title: Fated

Author: Miss T

Rating: R

Genre: Angst/Romance/Dark/Fluff/Muuuuuush!

Warnings: Slash, Character Death, Violence

Pairings: Draco/Harry

Timeline: 7th year

A/N: This is my first attempt at something a bit darker to my previous fics – its not incredibly dark right enough, but it does have death in it and a lot of violence and drug references so… *shrugs* oo, and some sexual situations between two guys. So if that offends you, don't read! Consider yourself warned! Oh, and this story has been based on a sort of Romeo/Juliet (mostly from the movie) romance type… thing. :)

A/N2: I decided to make Draco Catholic. It only seems fair to the plot, however OOC it is. O well.

CHAPTER 8 – Angel Tears

Harry Potter lay stretched out on the large sofa, scratching idly at his head and admiring the ceiling with uninterested awe.

Lupin sat on the chair on the other side of the room, occasionally straightening the paper he clasped in both of his hands, or sighing and shaking his head as he read some of the articles.

"Harry, you can't sit like this all day. You need to keep yourself busy." Sirius said, as he handed his godson a rather large cup of pumpkin juice.

Harry sat up and swung his legs around, planting his feet on the ground, and took a large gulp of juice.

"I have too many thoughts." He said darkly, staring into the glass.

"Want to tell us about them?" Lupin said, folding up the paper and placing it down on his lap.

Harry frowned and placed his glass down, idly thumbing at the ring on his middle finger.

"What is that, Harry?" Sirius asked as he sat down next to his godson, peering at the bright band of silver on Harry's finger.

"It was a gift." Harry whispered, willing himself not to burst into tears.

"Ah." Lupin said, as he shifted the chair in closer to the sofa. "A loved one, I presume?"

Harry winced and looked up at Remus, nodding slowly.

"By God, my Harry's went and found himself a girlfriend!" Sirius chuckled, slapping Harry's back approvingly.

Immediately, Harry's face began to melt crimson, and he found himself staring at the ring again.

"Come on, you can tell us who she is!" Lupin laughed, tilting his head.

*I seriously doubt that.* Harry thought darkly. *What's Sirius going to think of me sleeping with another… boy?*

"Harry?" Sirius asked after a few long seconds, a small frown of concern growing on his forehead.

"Itsdracomalfoy." Harry blurted, burying his hands into his face.

"What now?" Sirius frowned bemusedly.

Lupin coughed uncomfortably, his eyebrows raising. "Harry? Honestly?" He asked, his voice rather shrill. Too shrill for Harry's liking.

"Yeah so what?" Harry snapped, standing up and knocking his glass over. Sirius gasped, his bemused expression still plastered to his face. "What? Did you catch that, Moony? Who is she?!" He asked impatiently.

Harry completely ignored his godfather, and shifted on his feet uncomfortably, his face the colour of a tomato. "So what if I'm seeing another boy?" He stammered, unable to look Lupin straight in the face, but trying to keep his posture none the less.

"I didn't mean it like that." Remus muttered, rolling his eyes.

Sirius blinked once. Then again, and turned his head up to look at Harry. "You're with a boy?" He asked, his voice distant.

"Yeah, yeah. Welcome to the 20th century!" Harry snapped, looking at his nails.

"I said I didn't mean it like that, Harry!" Lupin frowned, standing up and placing his hands on Harry's shoulders. "What I meant was… Malfoy. That's… that's dangerous territory, Harry."

Sirius was the one to stand up now. "You're seeing a MALFOY?!" He boomed, not caring that the sudden outburst caused the other men to jump lightly.

Harry's face contorted into a deeper frown as he whipped Lupin's hands off his shoulders, and stepped backwards.

"Yes I'm seeing a Malfoy! And his name is Draco! And yes he is a boy! And you know what? I don't care… because I love him and I miss him and… and… and…" Harry whimpered, unable to hold his posture anymore.

"Hey… hey come on, now." Sirius softened, placing a hand on his godson's arm. Harry flinched for a second, but relaxed and sat back down on the sofa, resting his face in his hands.

Lupin and Sirius exchanged worried glances as the sat back down in their seats. "Harry, if he makes you happy…" Sirius said gently, rubbing lightly at his godson's back.

"… then we're happy." Lupin chimed in, smiling as best as he could.

"Just be careful." Sirius added, looking over at Lupin who nodded in response.

"I am careful. We're careful. We love each other." Harry muttered, taking his face out of his hands and staring down at the ring.

"But…" He began, tears threatening to spill again.

"But?" Lupin asked, leaning in.

"I'm worried about him. If only… if only I knew how he was. I just… and I can't… I can't, Sirius, I'm… oh…" Harry burst into tears, hiding his face with his hands again.

"I'll go." Lupin said firmly. Harry looked up at him, tears rolling down his cheeks silently. "I'll go to Hogwart's tomorrow and do some checking up for you, Harry. Don't worry. I'm sure he's fine."

~~~*~~~

Draco stared down at the small glass bottle in his hands, the lucid blue liquid swirling in a cloud of grey storm beneath it's depths. Turning to look out of his window, he relished the stars once more, for it might be his last time. Who knows what this potion could do if he and Hermione had mixed it wrong. *But it has to be right. It has to be right.* Draco kept telling himself, like an ongoing mantra.

"Draco, my darling!" A chirpy voice climbed from outside. Draco jumped and shoved the bottle under his pillow as his mother stepped inside his room. She and his Father had been staying over in Slytherin Tower again to deliver him to church in the morning, but were now sleeping in one of the abandoned Prefect's bedrooms, much to Draco's delight.

"Hello, Mother." He forced a smile as she slinked through the doorway towards his bed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my son – did I catch you at a holy moment?" Narcissa clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

"No, no," Draco rambled waving his hand in the air. "I've just finished." He said, glancing at the small Virgin Mary statue beside his bed stand.

Narcissa nodded curtly and sat on the edge of his bed. "Goodnight. Get some sleep, Draco. For you will need it." Narcissa smiled, patting her hand on Draco's leg over the covers before she stood up and made for the door, charming all the lights out as she did so.

"Farewell." Draco said lightly. "God knows when we shall meet again."

Narcissa looked at her son and nodded before closing the door silently.

Draco sat upright and perked his ears, making sure that Narcissa was definitely gone. Sliding his hand under the pillow, he grasped onto the bottle and pulled it out, letting his eyes drop onto the iridescent blue liquid.

"Harry." He whispered, pulling out the stopper with a quick 'pop'. "Cheers, boyfriend."

Quickly, Draco placed the bottle to his lips, letting every last drop spill down his throat. It felt like liquid fire, burning down his tongue, peppery and hot, making his eyes water wildly. Then, with a quick jolt, he felt his oxygen gasp out of him, as fast as a moving train, his eyes turning white, his body convulsing. Before he had time to think about what was happening, everything blacked out.

~~~*~~~

Lucius jumped as a piercing scream filled his ears, echoing throughout the Slytherin common room from upstairs as he sat at the desk drinking his usual morning coffee. Placing down his cup and averting his eyes from the Prophet, he slowly pulled off his reading glasses and peered up at the landing where the entrance of his son's room lay wide open, Narcissa standing in her white night dress looking even more pale than ever.

Lucius stood up and knocked his chair over, bounding his way up the stairs. "What is it, my love?" He asked gently, his eyes widening in realisation at the sight through the threshold of Draco's bedroom.

There he lay – lower body draped in his bedclothes, the other half exposed. His arms lay by his sides beside his head, his face blank, eyes open and expressionless. A small clear bottle lay next to his outspread palm, empty and useless – much like the body itself that lay cold and breathless before them.

Narcissa whimpered uncontrollably, collapsing against the bedroom wall. But all Lucius could bring himself to do was gaze at his dead son, who's hair spun around his pale face like a halo – his feathery lashes clotted with tears framing bloodshot eyes, pupils dilated to the point of covering grey.

~~~*~~~

The funeral was held at Malfoy Manor that morning. Whenever a Malfoy had died, they were laid to rest in the Malfoy Family Tomb below the mansion, their body forever tied to the family name.

It was a relatively short service, filled with the gentle sniffling of Narcissa Malfoy, the ever wailing of Pansy Parkinson and an array of Slytherin seventh years, family and friends. Lucius sat in the front row nearest Draco's body, his face cold and stern, barely twitching a muscle.

As always, the tomb had numerous rows of coffins laying side by side, stretching across the large room – a room around twice the size of the Great Hall in Hogwarts, a large separation pathway intercepting the middle, where at the end, Draco's body lay, out of coffin.

It was tradition to have the body rest above their coffin for a week after death, so loved ones could pay grief to the deceased. However, the body did not putrefy, a charm had been worked throughout the tomb to keep the resting body fresh when out of coffin. After all, Malfoy's were beautiful – even after death.

Various scatters of flowers lay across many of the coffins, crosses and crucifixes of lilies and silver patterned the interior, the room lit by the light of a thousand white candles.

A distant choir of angel's sang somewhere in the background, hiding beneath the walls in a musical charm that had been conjured since before anyone could remember. Draco had always been scared of that music.

But now, as his body lay between the interception of coffins, his hair sprawling around his face like a corona of light, dressed in a clean white shirt and black velvet dress robes, he didn't seem so scared of it.

His lips were almost the same colour as his pallid complexion, his eyes had been shut and he looked very much at peace as the scattered orchids and lilies draped around the satin and mesh covered platform he lay on. Dozens of candles encircled his body, glittering brightly in the dullness, bouncing off his skin and making him look like an angel.

Angel's sang, rising above the scattered candlelight of the room as people began to filter out. The service had ended. Narcissa gripped onto her husband for support as they walked out of the tomb, her eyes fogging with tears.

And the angel's sang on, embracing the pale boy's spirit as he slept.

~~~*~~~

TBC