Harry had waited impatiently for Harked to finish the complicated charm around them. His magic shivered in the air and Harry knew that, despite its seeming fragility, it was as solid as the rock around them. They had settled on a small ante chamber which was situated at the back of a room which looked like it had not been used for centuries. Edward had noted the same furnishing as he had seen in his cell but this was dusty and covered in cobwebs which blurred the embroidered dragons and dimmed the vibrant colours of the luxuriant fabrics.
Now Harked was gently snoring on a chaise longue he had wiped down fastidiously with his pocket handkerchief. Harry turned excitedly to Edward.
'Right, let's give this a go!' He took in Edward's face of worry, the eyebrows drawn together, the full mouth pinched in thought. 'You can do it Edward, I know you can.'
Edward's tension had been building since their first conversation about the vampire powers. He knew that to truly free himself from the strictures put upon him by Carlisle at his 'birth' he must also free himself from all the restraints he had voluntarily put upon himself. The vampire beast within him lurked and Edward felt it smile secretly. How could he explain this to Harry? This was the darkest part of him, the part he had only half exposed to Harry that night at the house, when Harry had held him and asked him, no commanded him, Edward's mouth twisted slightly into a smirk, to let go, to let him see it all. He thought he had. Until the touch of Dracula's teeth on his skin Edward had believed that he had given the whole of his beast to Harry. Now he knew differently. He couldn't let that out again, not so soon after it had been unleashed by Dracula, not now when he hadn't made it submit completely to his will. He had to try to explain this but how? Admitting his weakness with Dracula filled Edward with shame. Harry would understand wouldn't he? Edward shook himself like a dog. He couldn't tell Harry this yet; he had to have time to think. Maybe he could try to let go of some of his restraints, just not the ones which held the vampire animal inside him in check?
'Harry, 'Edward's voice was gentle and he traced the outline of Harry's jaw with his fingers, 'I'm not sure I can do this. I'm not sure I can let go enough and still be the person I am.'
'What do you mean Edward?' Harry looked up into Edward's eyes; there was so much belief in those green eyes, thought Edward, belief in me.
'If I let go of what Carlisle taught me I might not be to keep control of the...' his voice trailed off and his eyes searched the room, scanning the furnishings, the snoring wizard, anywhere but look at Harry's trusting face. Harry nodded.
'I know what you're saying Edward but I've seen that beast Edward, remember?' He kissed Edward's fingers as they made their way across his jaw and to his lips. 'I've seen it all. It'll be ok.' Harry looked at Edward, there was something wrong, something else Edward wasn't telling him but what? He was hungry; Harry knew that, could see the red glint in those usually gentle eyes. Maybe that was what was bothering Edward, maybe the beast would be stronger because it had not fed. He began to roll up his sleeve. Edward looked at him curiously and then his stare grew more intent as the beast inside him noticed the blue vein pulsing in the crook of Harry's elbow. Edward stepped back and shook his head furiously.
'No!' His voice was harsh, angrier than Harry had ever heard him. Harry felt hurt, rejected. He held his arm to his body and his magic shot out from him tingling and nipping at Edward's white skin. The vampire took another step backwards but his lip was curling back over his teeth now and an ominous growl was coming from deep in his throat. His aggressive posture forced a reaction from Harry. He stepped forward, his hand feeling for his wand which he realised was over the other side of the room, where he'd put down his jacket. His chin jutted out and his eyes were large with fear but also with defiance. Edward's beast saw the defiance and growled again in response. It was glad it had someone to intimidate, it smelt the delicious fear coming from the boy and it would savour the taste it would give to his blood. Edward took a step forward, crouching down; every muscle and sinew ready to pounce. The air was electric with tension. Vainly Edward struggled with the monster inside him, pushing it down, trying to distract himself with other things. But the sweet song of Harry's blood filled his brain with longing and hunger. Even the sting of the magic around him only heightened the hunt, the delightful drawing out of the moment where he would rip out this boy's throat and drink him down like the sweet draft of life.
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In his lair Dracula sat upright, his senses all alert and tingling with the knowledge that the first part of his plan was coming to fruition. Since he had drunk Edward's blood, known so intimately the monster inside the civility Edward had long cultivated, this part of Edward had belonged wholly to him. As it awakened, he awakened and what it saw, so too he could see. As he smelt Harry's fear Dracula felt himself control the beast inside Edward.
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Something had happened to Edward's eyes. Harry had been watching carefully as the thing that had been Edward crouched and prowled along the floor like a mountain lion. He watched with horror as the soft lips curled back from the teeth and silver venom dripped and pooled on the floor before him. This was no game; Harry could feel the creature's deadly intent, feel its eyes and its mind assessing the room, choosing its point of attack. The long white fingers curved into claws and the powerful muscles rippled under Edward's clothes as he prepared to strike.
'Edward,' Harry's voice shook and he tried to control it, knowing that, of all things, he could not show this creature fear and live. 'Edward,' he tried again, his voice stronger this time. 'Edward, remember who you are. Remember I'm Harry, your Harry Edward.' He slowly rolled down his sleeve and moved slightly to the side. He had to get to his wand, if Edward was going to strike him then only his magic would help him.
Dracula heard the tremor in Harry's voice and smiled. Edward smiled too and the sound of fear sparkled over his body. The beast heard the fear and knew that it would win. Dracula stroked the beast in his mind, encouraging it like a dangerous pet. He spoke softly to it, told it of the satisfaction it would have in drinking the boy's blood, satisfaction it had been denied for many years.
Edward fought for the control of his body, trying desperately to remember who Harry was; why it was so important not to kill him. He felt his grip on himself loosening, felt the animal he was becoming roar inside him. That noise, he remembered that noise. The last time he had heard it it had then been from the threatening storm clouds Dracula had gathered to hunt them down in the streets of the city. He looked at Harry through the red mist which was clouding his vision and tried to remember. Those trembling hands holding him gently, that voice soothing and trusting. The beast felt its power waning and it struggled fiercely. Dracula felt it too and he pushed with his mind at the barrier Edward was reasserting. The beast reached out and took control of Edward's limbs. He leapt across the room, clearing the distance between himself and Harry in a bound. Harry dragged a heavy wooden chair in front of him, his muscles screaming at his frantic effort. Edward arm knocked the chair away like a toy. He was inches from Harry's throat, and Harry could see the wide, wild eyes of the beast staring out from the twisted wreck of Edward's face. The face was a mask of bestiality and savagery. The creature stopped and sniffed the air, eager for more of the scent of fear. Harry let his mind go still, his body language neutral, as he felt for the wand with his mind. It was where he had left it, in his jacket pocket across the room from him. Harry glanced at the sleeping form of Harker. Why hadn't he awoken? Harry realised then, the thought made his blood run cold, he was the only person in the room not controlled by Dracula.
The Count pushed at the beast inside Edward, goading it on, putting into its primitive mind the taste of the blood, the feel of the skin ripping apart between its deadly jaws. It snarled and began to move forward, crouching, ready to pounce. Harry knew he had to act now. He had no time to consider his actions; if his attempt failed then he was dead.
'Accio!' he shouted, throwing his hand out to where the wand lay half out of his jacket pocket across the room. It twitched and then lay still. The creature snarled again as if it was mocking his effort, his puny magic. It looked to Harry as though Edward wanted to see how much he could really do, what his magic could achieve and then he'd rip his throat out just the same. The creature sprung forward on lethal muscles, poised in its jump it was like art, a thing of utter beauty and awe.
'Accio!' this time Harry screamed, his voice cracking with terror on the last syllable. He felt his insides turn to liquid cold, felt the impact of the creature before it even hit him. Felt the wood of the wand in his hand. Not registering what he had achieved, barely thinking at all, he pointed it at the creature and, even in this moment of life and death he did not forget that this was Edward, the man he loved. 'Stupefy!' he commanded. Edward fell back, dazed but still conscious. Harry could almost see Dracula reasserting himself within the body of Edward, persuading and coaxing the creature to get up and renew its attack. But there was something else in Edward's scarlet eyes. Somewhere from inside Edward had realised that Harry was about to kill him. He could see the magic pouring from Harry like water from a waterfall, see it cascading through him and focussing on the tip of his wand. Deep inside the feral creature he had become he welcomed death; he held open his arms of his mind and embraced the end. He willed it to come before the beast could hurt the precious boy whom he loved. As the creature stumbled back Edward realised he wasn't dead. He realised that Harry was risking his own life to save him.
Harry saw the creature behind Edward's eyes pause. He began to speak, soothing gentle words, keeping his voice calm and low, he told Edward how he loved him, would always love him, how he loved him even now. He slowly lowered the tip of his wand, pointing it towards the floor.
Dracula reminded the beast of its hunger, desperate hunger barely fed for tens of years on animals. This would taste so good, he urged, so coppery and thick as it slid down inside him, nourishing and strengthening. He felt the beast howl in frustration at Edward's attempts to curb its instincts, your own instincts, Dracula reminded Edward, allowing him to feel his presence. Edward felt Dracula inside him, felt the dark scar on his throat which had allowed him access. His skin was alive again with the lust in that bite, the power to take in those teeth which penetrated him, body and soul. He struggled against the Count's lascivious embrace. He struggled towards Harry, toward honesty, towards love.
Harry saw Edward lurch towards him, saw the pain mixed with horror in his eyes. There was a second where their gazes locked together, Edward's fear searing through his topaz eyes. Hunger wracked his body and there was a last, fierce struggle as he finally pushed the beast away from him, away from the surface and back to where he had kept it hidden for all those years.
Harry felt Edward's victory over the animal inside him and released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Edward crumpled to the ground and Harry sat beside him, cradling his head in his arms. Gently, and without hesitation, he rolled up his sleeve again and pressed the smooth skin against Edward's teeth. Edward tried weakly to push the arm away but Harry used the sharpness of Edward's teeth and the pressure of his own grip to break his skin. Harry's blood was sweet and dark, Edward felt it fill his mouth, slicking his teeth and tongue. Pleasure exploded inside his body. This forbidden intimacy opening him up to Harry's magic more than ever before. It shimmered around them both, merging and melding them together, creating something more striking and stronger than before.
Harry felt himself being drunk down by Edward, consumed and transformed into Edward's strength, his beauty and power. Edward felt Harry's blood, tingling with the magic he was drawing from his veins, his heart. He knew now that nothing could part them, not time, not Dracula, nothing. Their forms flooded into each other, it was not possible to tell one from the other now. Harry with sparkling white skin, Edward's brow bearing the lightning scar. Edward felt Harry's heart beating loud in his head; he knew that rhythm was only for him. It was as though this act had lifted them up, elevated them to the height of angels and they looked down on the mingling shapes of their bodies and they laughed together at the confusion of a world which had tried to separate them.
The time seemed infinitely stretched out, flowing between them like blood and magic. They felt linked beyond time, as though this moment was never going to end.
Edward grabbed Harry's arm and held it to his mouth, he pulled on the blood with his strong jaw, sucking and licking at the blood, not missing a drop. Harry fell back against the wall but Edward caught him. Reversing their position Edward now held Harry to him, savouring this boy's most intimate taste. With supreme effort he pulled away. He looked up at Harry through eyes heavy with fatigue and fulfilment and saw Harry smiling weakly at him.