Chapter Sixteen:
Seize The Day
A/N: Please read, Review, and enjoy! Chapter song is by Avenged Sevenfold.
Dedicated to Kyte Pheonix.
Thanks a bunch to all of my reviewers, you make me so happy! Here are some specific shoutouts. =)
littlesprout - I'm glad you like it! xD
A - Yes, well there are some characters that will be OOC (Actually, most I can admit are though I attempt my spin at it). If they weren't OOC, then this would be a Canon, which it most certainly is not.
Mrrudeboy - Hey there again, glad to see you're enjoying another of my Fics! Please keep reading and reviewing, I'll give you pixel cookies, hehe! ^_^
El Ultimo Angel - Whoops, my apologies for that slip, should've seen it! Thank you and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
SilverEars - Thanks very much, I hope you keep reading and enjoying it!
I found you here, now please just stay for awhile
I can move on with you around
I hand you my mortal life, but will it be forever?
I'll do anything for a smile, holding you till our time is done
We both know the day will come, but I don't want to leave you.
I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time
But I'm too young to worry
Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost,
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over.
XXXX
"I can't believe it!"
"The old coot had it coming,"
"He was useless anyway. Mother and Father are rather glad he's not around anymore,"
"The Ministry is in an uproar, have you heard who they've got in line?"
"Some bowso Auror,"
"Now that won't last long,"
Harry had been listening to the buzzing news all day. It had been announced at breakfast by Igor Karkaroff, attempting to seem sadened by the events which happened. Harry knew immediately what it meant. The Ministry was no longer safe, there were people inside of it that had betrayed them and were most likely prone to do it again.
The Daily Prophet, The Quibbler, Witch Weekly and every other Wizarding newspaper held the headline; 'MINISTER OF MAGIC CORNELIUS FUDGE: MURDERED' The articles went about discussing the details of the maintenance Witch going into his office late last night and finding him already out on the floor, his cup of brandy spilt across the expensive persian rug. He had been alledgedly poisoned with the Draught of Death, a simple NEWT-level Potion. There were no suspects thus far.
Harry knew it had to be Death Eaters. They weren't being blatant about it this time because it was the Minister, and it was too risky. They were probably trying to rattle the Wizarding community the best they could, and it was working. He had shared his views on the situation with Draco, neither being particularly upset that Fudge was rid off.
"Kingsley's a good man," Harry said as they made their way, hand-in-hand, out to the snow-covered courtyard that Thursday afternoon during their free period.
"Mmm, never really had a chance to meet him. Must be good if he isn't one of my Father's associates," Draco returned.
Kingsley Shacklebot had been appointed as the new Minister of Magic, taking Fudge's place that morning after the annointing ceremony. Harry was fond of Kingsley, he had met the Auror over the summer at Headquarters several times.
The frigid cold in the courtyard startled Harry, it was easy to forget just how freezing it was where Durmstrang was located especially in the winter months. Draco seemed unaffected as Harry pulled his fur cloak closer to himself, shivering in its heated confines. "So what is it today, love?" Harry quipped. Ever since Draco proposed to him the dark teachings of curses and other such magic most didn't even know existed, the blonde had taken up the role of a teacher with gruelling lessons in the harsh winds.
"Could you put up the enchantment wards? We definitely do not need others nosing around today," Draco said, a hint of warning in his voice.
"Oh?" Harry asked, his interest peeked as he retrieved his wand from his pocket and with the mere flick of his wrists, the enchantment wards were placed around them. Now to the normal witch, wizard or muggle that passed by, they would percieve nothing but an empty courtyard. A Silencio charm woven into the wards Harry created ensured they were kept quiet from anybody nearby as well.
Draco turned to face his boyfriend with a stern face, "You're not going to like this, but it must be done, Harry. I have seen stupendous improvement when it comes to your magical abilities, and most vastly in the Dark Arts. You are a fair rival for Voldemort, that goes without saying," he said, ignoring Harry's blush, "However, how quick will you be able to react? Will you be able to use these curses and abilities on a real human being, causing them great suffering all under your control? You are able, without a wand or without words, to cast any sorts of magic which is most impressive. The question is, can you carry it out realistically? You need to be prepared to do so, no matter who stands in your way when the War comes," he finished seriously.
Harry's face fell. He understood what was being asked of him and Draco was right-he wasn't going to like this. In fact, he wasn't keen on participating in today's lesson whatsoever. "Isn't there something else you could teach me first?"
"Harry," Draco said lowly, taking a step forward. The brunette's eyes flicked to the small movement made by his boyfriend, his alabaster hand reaching swiftly into his pocket and pulling out his wand, gripping it tightly. "This is our most important lesson yet, and it very well may save your life,"
"But, Draco, how can you expect me to want to curse you? Isn't there some other way around this? I-I can't do this. I can't hurt you! I promised I'd protect you and-" hot, tearing pain ripped itself through Harry's body, bubbling beneath his skin. He recognized it immediately as Cruxiation, a dark variation of the Unforgivable Curse, Cruciatus. It was not banned because the Ministry thought it highly unlikely there were those that even knew how to cast it any longer. But this, like many of the other spells Draco had taught Harry, had been passed down through centuries of the infamous Malfoy bloodline.
Harry didn't know when he had fallen to the snow floor, but suddenly he was heaving on his hands and knees, clenching his teeth, barring the pain at bay. Another wave of Cruxiation hit him, almost sending him overboard as his mind began to swim. He needed to react if he wanted to stay conscious, and he didn't want to let Draco down either.
"Eradico Expugno," he hissed between his teeth, already too drained to cast the curse wordlessly.
Upon Harry's words, deep roots seemed to spring up from the cold, hard ground and rush at Draco whose eyes went wide as he quickly attempted a severing charm which only hit two of the five attacking roots. They twisted and contorted as they gripped harshly around the blonde's ankles, yanking him down to the ground and slowly crawling over him as he hastily cast stunning charms and detatchment curses down at them.
"Inconditus," Harry cast, getting up off the ground as the Cruxiation Curses had been banished upon his attack on Draco.
Now the other boy, struggling away from the thick roots, slowed down almost immediately. His eyes went wide with confusion as he looked all around himself, taking in his surroundings as if for the first time. The Inconditus Charm was almost like an illusion of the Obliviation spell. Instead of wiping the target's memories, it just confuses them, mixing them around in the mind to send the person for quite the momentary trip, leaving them unable to focus on the task at hand.
Not wanting to cast deadly curses he had been taught, or ones that caused extrenious amounts of pain, Harry quickly decided upon the darker variation of the Stunning Charm.
"Sopor," he whispered, regaining his own energy now as Draco-still confused and bewildered on the ground-immediately fell flat on his back and into a deep slumber, only lifted by Harry's countercurse.
"Finite," Harry said, concentrating the spell only on the Eradico Expugno curse and the Inconditus one. He reached out with one hand as he knelt overtop of Draco's quiet, slumbering body, and brushed the pieces of platinum hair away from his forehead. Admiring him momentarily, Harry then lifted his final curse.
Draco came to quickly, jumping upright into a sitting position. He calmed himself and looked over at Harry. "Very good. You found an effective way to overcome your opponent without being too cruel. Though, might I warn you that this will not always work - in fact, usually will not work, with Death Eaters. You must be harsher, Harry,"
"I will be. Those monsters deserve what I am going to give them. They deserve eternal pain and misfortune, and even death. But you...you only deserve the best. I couldn't bring myself to really hurt you," Harry blushed, looking away from Draco.
The blonde smiled up at his boyfriend, reaching out and cupping his face softly with his hands. He brought them to one anothers eye-level and leaned up to kiss Harry gently. Their lips quivered against one another, sparking warmth in the cold December afternoon.
Draco was quick to deepen the kiss, sliding his wet tongue alongside the bottom of Harry's chapped lip. The brunette hissed in response, the sensation shooting from his mouth down to his groin. Sliding his hand up Draco's side, he came to his soft, silken hair and ruffled his fingers in the depth of it, pushing them closer together as he did so.
Leaning back on one of his hands, Draco blinked seductively up at Harry through his pale eyelashes and licked his lips. Harry was breathlessly caught staring down at him, unable to look away. "Let me take you Harry. I want to know what you feel like," he whispered hoarsly.
Harry swallowed, eyes going wide. "T-take me?" he asked, and then the images of what that would imply popped into his head and his groin quickly reacted. Despite the cold air, sweat began to bead on his lower back as he thought of it. "Anything for you," he answered.
Draco, satisfied with the answer, came onto his feet and held out a hand to help Harry up as well. In a daze they walked through the corridors, nearly empty due to the fact most students were in classes. They were one of the few with a free period at that moment. They went to their dormitory, thankful that none of the other boys were in there as Draco was quick to lock and silencio the room.
He turned to Harry, an expression of hunger on his face. His eyes burned with the pure passion he felt for the strong willed, honest, generous and incrediably predijious man. They had been too distracted with their studying and preparations to ensure Harry's fate at the end of the War that they never focused on each other enough. Now that Draco was convinced Harry was ready to fight anybody and anything, he wouldn't to show him just how much he appreciated every part of him.
Harry paused as he looked back at Draco, his heart thudding loudly in his throat beside his pulse. Who once was his rival was now his most treasured lover, a person who understood him and not only what he was going through but more importantly what he would have to go through. Though Draco had a dark past, much like Harry's, he learned to think around the facade the blonde still usually played as he had developed an ability to see who he really was. Most of all, he loved every part of that person and the way he made him feel substantial.
Draco crossed over to Harry and quickly embraced him into his arms, his mouth hot on his neck, suckling sweetly at the pulsating veins beneath his earlobe. Harry gasped, involuntarily flinging his head backwards as pleasure racked through him with such a simple touch.
Bringing his hands to Harry's hips, Draco slowly slid them under his cloak and up his buttoned blouse, teasing the toned abdomen with his feathery fingertips. It felt like soothing fire touched him when Draco's tongue dragged from his ear down to the nook of his neck. Shivering under his touch, Harry groaned and pulled him closer, nonverbally asking for more.
Obliging what he sensed his partner wanted, Draco easily stripped Harry of his cloak and blouse as his mouth continued its ministrations on his neck, slowly trailing lower and across both of his tensed collar bones.
Harry had never known himself to be so turned on by something so little, but at the moment he had lost all train of thought as his hands fumbled with the clasp of Draco's own cloak and buttons.
Once they were shirtless and Draco's mouth had trailed far enough down Harry's neck that he now was just above his nipples, Draco brought his hands from Harry's abdomen to the waist of his trousers. Looking up into those emerald pools, Draco hissed seductively, "I love you, I want to feel you,"
"I-I want you too Draco, p-please...take me," Harry responded softly, his voice quivering.
In the midst of their heated passion; limbs tangled, their hands continuously roaming the others sweaty, electric skin, Harry looked up at Draco with all the love he never knew he could feel, "Draco, please never leave me,"
Draco stopped at that, a small bemused laugh escaping his lips as he looked down at Harry. He stroked the side of his face lovingly and with a smirk he said, "Do you already forget what I promised you? I will stay by your side, through everything, and I will protect you until my dying day Harry. I'll never leave you," and with that he bent down to capture his lovers lips once again, even more passion fuelling their desire now.
And in those moments as they touched, kiss, licked, caressed, and made love to one another, the dark future that was impeding upon them did not matter so long as they were in each other's arms.
So what if I never hold you, or kiss your lips again?
So I never want to leave you. And the memories of us to see,
I beg don't leave me.
Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost
it's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over.
Trials in life, questions of us existing here
Don't wanna die alone without you here
Please tell me what we have is real.