Hello fellow fanfickers! Ignis here with a fic I've been working on for a little less than a year…on and off that is…I'm not THAT slow of a writer…I know I'm only typing it up now, but if it turns out really weird, I'm sorry, but I had 5 vials of blood taken from me this morning. I hope you're all ready for some fluffy at first and angsty near the end HARRY/DRACO!!!! Yay! So…on with the show.
Draco's P.O.V.
I had always disliked the sound of thunder mixed with the incessant pounding of heavy raindrops hitting darkened windows. It had always disturbed me how one flash of lightening followed by one rumble of thunder could make my entire room shake-my entire house even. I didn't like the rain, I still don't, but now I have a reason for my distaste. I had never allowed my friends to cry for me, and my inability to stop the sky from grieving as well is killing me to this day. But not for very much longer I feel. It was raining that night so many years ago, when my only happiness was taken from me. Now I can't stand the rain because every cold emotionless drop turns into a hot salty tear when it hits my skin. They are all his tears, all these drops, and I hate it when he cries. My lover shouldn't cry…my beautiful love…my Harry.
A few years earlier
Third person P.O.V.
A refreshingly light mist had broken out over the Hogwarts Grounds. It was the type of weather that one usually enjoys more when watching it from behind the safety of a window; the type of weather that spoke of an oncoming storm. Despite this minor setback, laughter rang out in the hallways of the massive castle and echoed in the chilly grounds. The dark mid-June morning was breaking into an equally dark and dreary afternoon, but the gloom did nothing to dampen the cheery ambiance that comes with the finishing of end of year exams-especially if they're end of year NEWT exams. Classes had been let out and the train to take the students home was arriving in three days time. Out of the entire student body, only two boys remained untouched by the mood lifting atmosphere. They had created their own happiness and both doubted that their moods could indeed be lifted any higher.
Said two boys were currently in a room deep in the bowels of the school, curled around each other. Even though it was nearing the afternoon, neither of the bed's occupants was willing to leave the comfort of their lover's arms.
Harry Potter snuggled into the hard chest that was spooned against him. In automatic response to the sign of affection, Draco Malfoy wrapped his arms around the other's small frame all the tighter.
Harry groaned as he blinked the sleep from his eyes, smiling sleepily up at his boyfriend. Who would have thought that the two greatest enemies in Hogwarts would end up being the two greatest lovers? Certainly not them. But neither of them could possibly be happier.
-"Morning, sleepyhead." Draco greeted, his gray eyes already wide open.
-"Sleepyhead yourself." The green eyed boy answered. "Why are we awake?" But Draco was spared the troublesome explanation as Harry's stomach chose that exact moment to grumble loudly.
-"That's why." The blonde stated. "Now get dressed and if we're lucky we might make it to lunch."
-"There's no need to be sarcastic. And don't I get a 'good morning' kiss first?" No sooner had the words left Harry's mouth that he found himself pinned between the soft mattress and his tall boyfriend's lean body. Draco pressed his lips to Harry's, letting his eyes slip shut. He felt Harry melt against him and he knew in that instant that this was something he would need to feel every single day of his life until the day he died. It was something that, now that he had tasted it he would not be able to live without. After parting, Harry asked, "Tell me, why don't we just have breakfast in bed?" Cracking a grin at his boyfriend's behavior, the blonde answered, "Because it's now lunch time, not breakfast, and because I'm afraid that both of us not showing up for breakfast followed by both of us not showing up for lunch and both of us not sleeping in our own dorms last night is going to draw a lot of unwanted attention to us." It was an expected, almost robotic, yet just as undesired answer. Harry hated hiding his relationship with Draco from his friends, but they both knew it was a necessity. Draco was still expected to take the Mark in a few weeks.
The grey eyed boy got up first and walked to a dresser that they had previously stocked full of clothes and took out two pairs of boxers and socks, two pairs of pants and two shirts, tossing one of each to his lazy Gryffindor.
They got dressed in silence and left the small corner of heaven on Earth that they had created for each other. But before completely parting ways, Draco caught Harry's hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly, lacing their fingers together. Confident that Draco would make his way directly to the Great Hall, Harry went back to his dormitory to begin packing his belongings.
After having crossed the threshold to the Gryffindor common room, Harry spared a glance around and let out a sigh of relief. He was the only one present in the red and gold room. He walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitory and pushed open the oak door that blocked his path. The sight that lay on the other side of the door made tears well up in his green eyes. The usually messy, lived-in room was neat and somewhat empty.
Once upon a time, Harry would have been pleased, even a little relieved at the clean state of their shared room. Relieved because it meant that he did indeed live with humans, not untrained animals, and pleased because it would mean that his classmates had finally matured beyond the point of unruly schoolboys. But now it just made him sad. Sad because they really had matured past the stage of unruly schoolboys. And sad because he had lost the adopted brothers he had gained for the past seven years of his life. With a sigh, he sat down on the bed that had previously been his and contemplated his 'empty nest' syndrome. He had always been the one everyone had gone to with their problems; he had always been the shoulder to cry on. And now he had no more problems to solve; no more tears to dry, and he didn't like it one bit. Shaking his head, he got up retraced his steps to the Great Hall, leaving his packing for another time.
Few people had agglomerated there. Most had decided to follow the newest fashion of taking their lunches outside for a picnic, despite the sudden fog. A simple clearing charm was enough to create an airy bubble of dry space in which to lay down a blanket or a cloak. Neither of his best friends was present, but that was to be expected; Ron, or Won-Won as he was mostly referred to, was busy with his now very serious relationship with Lavender. Hermione was drowning in books; her dream of reading every book in the school library was coming true.
Glancing quickly to the Slytherin table, Harry saw his blond lover, scowling as Pansy Parkinson was hanging off his arm like a disease. Fighting the bile that was rising in his throat, he grabbed a sandwich at random and fled the large room. He only had two days left to spend with his most precious half, and to watch his lover with someone else, whether against his will or not, sickened the Gryffindor beyond reason.
-"Harry!" Two voices shouted in unison. He turned around to see Ron and Hermione walking towards him.
-"Hi." He answered curtly, but it would seem that that was not enough as they continued to look at him expectantly. Harry sighed. "Aren't you both busy? He asked accusatorily. Hermione tuck her nose in the air and muttered something about a lunch break, while Ron had the decency to look embarrassed and said: "Lavender's with Parvati." The raven haired boy sighed again and shook his head.
-"Well, have a nice lunch. I'm going for a walk." And so he did.
Nibbling at his turkey sandwich, he looked out at the Hogwarts Grounds from a window situated in one of the most secluded areas of the castle.
His meal hit the floor before he had time to register the pain that had flared up in his scar. And just as quickly as it had come the burning sensation disappeared. Wide eyed, Harry's hand picked up the fallen sandwich of its own accord and the boy mechanically made his way to the headmaster's office.
The long corridors seemed even longer now that his journey to the heart of the school had a purpose. He hadn't noticed how much time had passed since he had run off with his lunch, and he had to shield his eyes from the shining rays of the setting sun.
-"Blood pops!" The stone gargoyle sprang to life and jumped aside to allow him entrance. He stepped into the office tinted in golden light. The seat behind the desk was empty and Harry could tell by the lifeless feeling of the room that he was its only occupant. Pain flared up in his scar again, but this time at a tolerable level.
He turned to leave and find the elderly man, but before he cleared the room, something in the room caught his eye. A ratty old hat had been placed on an otherwise deserted shelf. It had been torn in many places, and sewn back together. The patches of differently coloured thread gave the impression that the hat had two eyes and a mouth. Curiosity gripped the young Gryffindor like two ice cold hands slipping into his brain. He walked foreword with determination and picked the hat up from its resting place. The black hair on his head, as well as a large part of his forehead were covered by the rim of the large hat.
-"Well, well, well…what have we here?" A clear voice erupted in his head. "Little Potter is all grown up. And he still doubts me." Harry sighed.
"It's not doubt. I know you were wrong back then. But now, a lot has changed since then. I was just thinking, seeing as I'm dating one of them, do I belong in Slytherin?"
"You would have done well there. You have not changed since we last spoke. But that will not matter soon. You will not be together for ever." To that Harry had no answer. He was no child; he knew that they would not be one for ever, but he still dared to dream. The voice continued, "Soon, very soon, you will loose everything. Appreciate it now that you can-" Harry wrenched the hat off of his head and dropped it to he floor, not caring that Dumbledore would notice. He ran out of the room and down the hallway. Harry blindly followed his feet, which took him to his only safe haven. Looking up, he noticed that the world had become blurry. With an irritated sigh, he wiped the tears from his eyes.
-"Harry? What's wrong?" A familiar soft voice sounded from behind him. He felt the urge to throw himself into his lover's arms, but resisted. Suddenly, the hat's words started to ring in his head. 'You will not be together for ever.' Was it already over? The image of Pansy draped over his blonde's shoulders flashed in the forefront of his mind. Before he even considered the absurdity of the thought, words starter to pour forth from his mouth, forming a waterfall of accusations.
-"It was right! We are over! I don't even know what I am to you. I can't believe I never even asked! What kind of an idiot am I to have trusted a Slytherin?" He spat out the last out word. The only sound that was heard in the in the hallway was Harry's heavy breathing. He felt like a bird in a cage so small that he could not unfold his wings. His lungs weren't working and his heart war beating twice as fast as it should. Was the world supposed to be spinning like that- SLAP!
Everything came back into focus just in time for Harry to watch Draco's back disappear around the corner, his footsteps echoing in the stunned boy's ears.
What had he just done? Where had the Hell had that come from? He loved Draco, and he knew that Draco loved him. At least he had five minutes ago.
-"Harry!" An old voice called, the echoes of the shout reverberating in the corridor. Albus Dumbledore was running towards him, all decorum and image forgotten. His robes were in disarray and the infantile twinkle that usually graced his blue eyes had been replaced by a frightfully cold, impenetrable shield. ''Harry, it is time.''
Dread filled the young Gryffindor as if someone had replaced his very bones with lead. He answered shakily: ''What will happen to me?'' The silence that followed seemed to fill up the entire castle-every crevice, every crack. Green rose to meet azure and any doubts that the silence might have left behind were swept away.
To refuse would have been futile, so Harry let his instinct to obey the elder man take over. After all, he had never really steered him wrong before. He followed his mentor to the Entrance Hall where all of the staff and Order had regrouped. All conversation stopped as soon as they noticed the duo descending the ancient steps. Dumbledore's voice rang out the way all great leaders' voices do. It was free of emotion and the frigid tones spoke silently of the sacrifices he was willing to make in order to win. Nothing would stand in the way of his triumph.
-''The students have been informed of the upcoming events and the majority are flooing home as we speak. Some however, have agreed to stay and fight for our cause. I will not lie to you; this will be difficult, in fact it will almost be impossible. All of the hours spent planning, analyzing techniques, were useless. We have but one option and it is victory. It shall be ours.'' The finality of his tone left no room for arguments, no room for hesitation, and no room for fear.
The rain pounded against his skin in time with his racing heart. A pale hand swept sodden blond bangs out of stormy gray eyes. Draco felt his stomach lurch as he jumped out of the way of an oncoming stream of green light. He felt more than heard the thud of a body hitting the ground behind him. A flash of lightning illuminated the brutality around him. Corpses were strewn across the grounds of what had once been many young children's place of comfort and the stench of blood made the air so thick that everything seemed to be tainted red. The war had come faster and harder than either party had planned, and it was far more brutal than anyone had expected. No one knew who they were throwing curses at, it was impossible to distinguish between friend and foe. Draco stunned a Death Eater just in time to catch a glimpse of Harry before he disappeared in a crowd of fighters. Draco sped off towards him, but the closer he got to the place where his lover had been, the farther away Harry seemed to be pulled. The chaos continued rhythmically for a while until a clear strong voice rang out above all the others and with the gut wrenching scream, the fighting around them stopped.
-''AVADA KADAVRA!!'' An enormous burst of green light exploded from the tip of Harry's wand and exposed the gory scene. As if in slow motion, a million pairs of eyes followed the beam of hope. It hit Voldemort in the spot where his heart should have been and his bloody orbs widened in surprise. No sound escaped his already dead lips. An unexpected guttural moan of pain escaped Harry's throat, and was quickly followed by an unearthly shriek that cut through the previous silence like a hot knife. The sound stabbed right at Draco's heart and froze him to the spot. A few seconds later however, the dead silence took over again and the final thud of a soulless body hitting the ground reached Draco's ears. Before he could stop himself, he began pushing and shoving everyone that stood between him and the object of his desire aside. But nothing in the world, wizarding or muggle, could have prepared him for the icy agony of reality's fingers slipping into his stomach, seizing his heart, or for the hysteria of the panicked breath imprisoned in his unresponsive lungs.
A sixteen year old boy with jet black and very unruly hair-hair that Draco had always begged Harry to cut, hair that loved to have long pale fingers tugging at it- lay on the soaked muddy ground. His ruby lips were slightly parted, as if to take a long awaited breath, but Draco knew he would have to wait an eternity for it. His emerald green eyes stared blankly ahead, and his dark eyelashes seemed ready to blink, as if taunting the young Slytherin that he would never do so again. His pearl white skin was becoming translucent and seemed to glow with an otherworldly light. He had never looked more like himself. Now everyone could plainly see what Draco had discovered in Harry-a diamond in the rough.
No one moved. Everyone present was at a loss; both sides had lost their leaders. The Death Eaters disapparated and the Aurors moved to tend to their wounded comrades. But Draco couldn't see. The only thing he knew in that instant was the pounding of his own heart, and the silence of his partner's. The blonde ran foreword only to stop a meter away from the still form, as if reality were just only sinking in. Tears streamed down his cheeks and a wail of anguish freed itself from his throat.
-''…no…this is not real! It can't be!!'' The broken man ran the rest of the way to his fallen angel. The world was spinning and flashing around him, but none of it mattered. He scooped the small feminine form into his arms, careful as is not to disturb him, as he had done a million times before. An appreciation he had never felt before filled him.
Draco didn't move, his subconscious waited for Harry to snuggle lovingly into his side. But he didn't.
-''Wake up!!! Wake up, you bastard! Don't you dare leave me here! You're not allowed to go where I can't follow…you promised. I thought you would never leave me.'' His voice had fallen to a mere whisper. Draco started to roughly shake the freezing corpse, trying to make Harry wake up. ''Open your eyes, damn it!'' He screamed. ''I love you, you idiot!'' Reality was slipping away and Draco started to whisper into Harry's ear. ''If you don't get up we'll miss lunch again. Come on Harry, get up. I know you're hungry, let's go get lunch. Please…'' An old, wrinkled hand descended onto the pain stricken boy's shoulder. Draco looked up at the Headmaster, his eyes locking with the other's equally distressed ones. He started to beg as a child would to his mother.
-''Bring him back. I can't leave him like this. He must be so cold. He doesn't like the cold, you know. Bring him back…''
''I can't. You have to let him go. We need to get you cleaned up, and Harry, well, the Aurors-''
''NO!'' He shrieked uncontrollably. "They can't have him! Harry's mine! I don't care what they need! I need him more!'' Tears were streaming down both of their tired faces.
-''I understand, my boy, but that is not Harry.''
''It's all that's left. You don't understand, I love him.'' He leant close to his lover again. ''Will you marry me? Will you Harry? We could have such a wonderful life together. Can you see it like I can?'' And the slightly parted eyes mocked on, giving Draco the impression that Harry could indeed see what life might have had in store for them in another world.
Dumbledore had taken out his wand again, and before Draco even knew what was happening, a beam of white light hit him in the chest, and all else, as they say, was history, save for the echoes of a vanquished boy's distress, ringing out over the battlefield.
A few years later, a young man sat with his back against a cold slab of stone, watching the rain. His slightly parted grey eyes continued to watch the world of the living, long after his soul had joined the world of the dead. A clear vial slipped out of his unclenched fingers and rolled to a stop at the foot of another grave.
Harry James Potter
1980-1997
Saviour of the Wizarding World
He will never be forgotten.
Someone had added underneath, my most precious jewel.