First fic in two years (You have been forewarned!)
Title: The Haunting
Author: Aoife Malfoy aoifene
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: PG-13 for dark themes
Beta: Er- none. Run for the hills?
Word Count: 500
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning(s): Implied Character Death Heed them!
Dedication: Hi, fandom! *waves madly*
AN: This will probably make you not want me back. *laughs*
Summary: They say some loves are meant to last forever. Draco Malfoy means to make sure his will.
He tamps down viciously on a choked sob. He will not cry- won’t let his vision be blurred when he only has minutes left to commit this to memory. It isn't enough, not even close but that's the thing with time and Harry, he’d never be able to get enough of either.
"I can’t!"
"You can."
His words are steeled with conviction even as despair threatens to swallow him whole. Fate has dealt him this hand and he had lost. The mark on his arm makes this a foregone conclusion.
He just never thought he had anything left to lose other than his life.
"But-"
"You love me. It’s obvious and if you dare hold out on me now-"
They’ve never said the words. They could never seem to happen upon the right moment. Too wrapped up in destiny, defeating evil, and saving everyone but themselves. But it’s there with every touch and each meeting of their lips. It seems laughable now to have withheld it. He knew they were on borrowed time.
“I do! Of course I do."
“Good."
He subsides and a small smile graces his pale face albeit it’s a shaky one. It feels good to finally hear it out loud. Warmth spreads through him all the way down to his bones and suddenly he feels buoyant in a way he hasn’t been since Fourth Year.
“That’s actually my greatest achievement, you know, making you love me. And because you do. You’ll stay. You’ll stay when those monsters come in here. You’ll stay when lips that aren’t yours touches mine. You’ll stay until all that’s left of me is an empty shell. Only then can you go."
“Draco, I don’t think I can. Why would even want me to?"
He shrugs weakly and turns his eyes away from the anguished face before him. He knows he's being selfish, maybe even a touch cruel. He knows full well what witnessing the next few moments would do to Harry. The memory would haunt him for the rest of his life. The injustice of this death at the hands of the bigoted masses he had saved would stay with him forever. It would seep into his dreams, turning them into nightmares and waking him with screams of Draco’s name on his lips.
But he can't help himself. This is, after all, why he changed sides, why he stood by the Boy Who Lived, even though that made him a target for Death Eaters and the Ministry alike. It's why even now, on the brink of death and the certain loss of his godforsaken soul, he can't bring himself to regret any of it.
"Everything is easier when you’re there, even my death."
The choked sob that answers him almost makes him smile. He knows Harry wouldn't leave now. Not so long as Draco needs him and Draco needs him forever.
And he is that selfish and cruel and heartbreakingly human that he wants Harry to need him just as much.
The end.
AN: My bad. I ♥ Draco really, to bits even!
Author: Aoife Malfoy aoifene
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: PG-13 for dark themes
Beta: Er- none. Run for the hills?
Word Count: 500
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning(s): Implied Character Death Heed them!
Dedication: Hi, fandom! *waves madly*
AN: This will probably make you not want me back. *laughs*
Summary: They say some loves are meant to last forever. Draco Malfoy means to make sure his will.
He tamps down viciously on a choked sob. He will not cry- won’t let his vision be blurred when he only has minutes left to commit this to memory. It isn't enough, not even close but that's the thing with time and Harry, he’d never be able to get enough of either.
"I can’t!"
"You can."
His words are steeled with conviction even as despair threatens to swallow him whole. Fate has dealt him this hand and he had lost. The mark on his arm makes this a foregone conclusion.
He just never thought he had anything left to lose other than his life.
"But-"
"You love me. It’s obvious and if you dare hold out on me now-"
They’ve never said the words. They could never seem to happen upon the right moment. Too wrapped up in destiny, defeating evil, and saving everyone but themselves. But it’s there with every touch and each meeting of their lips. It seems laughable now to have withheld it. He knew they were on borrowed time.
“I do! Of course I do."
“Good."
He subsides and a small smile graces his pale face albeit it’s a shaky one. It feels good to finally hear it out loud. Warmth spreads through him all the way down to his bones and suddenly he feels buoyant in a way he hasn’t been since Fourth Year.
“That’s actually my greatest achievement, you know, making you love me. And because you do. You’ll stay. You’ll stay when those monsters come in here. You’ll stay when lips that aren’t yours touches mine. You’ll stay until all that’s left of me is an empty shell. Only then can you go."
“Draco, I don’t think I can. Why would even want me to?"
He shrugs weakly and turns his eyes away from the anguished face before him. He knows he's being selfish, maybe even a touch cruel. He knows full well what witnessing the next few moments would do to Harry. The memory would haunt him for the rest of his life. The injustice of this death at the hands of the bigoted masses he had saved would stay with him forever. It would seep into his dreams, turning them into nightmares and waking him with screams of Draco’s name on his lips.
But he can't help himself. This is, after all, why he changed sides, why he stood by the Boy Who Lived, even though that made him a target for Death Eaters and the Ministry alike. It's why even now, on the brink of death and the certain loss of his godforsaken soul, he can't bring himself to regret any of it.
"Everything is easier when you’re there, even my death."
The choked sob that answers him almost makes him smile. He knows Harry wouldn't leave now. Not so long as Draco needs him and Draco needs him forever.
And he is that selfish and cruel and heartbreakingly human that he wants Harry to need him just as much.
The end.
AN: My bad. I ♥ Draco really, to bits even!