Immortal Embrace

"Immortal Embrace"

By C.K. Blake

It was strange, how the night seemed so different when it became one's primary world. It was brighter than daylight had ever been yet blanketed in cool, comforting shadows. Lifting his nose to the sweet fragrant air that smelled of rich pine and oak and blood, blood sheltered in the body of some creature nearby. Another sniff. A deer, yes it was deer, and it promised life, it promised blood, rich bubbling metallic and bittersweet.

With a speed that was both new and primal the boy took off, moving so fast that his pale silvery blond hair shimmering by the moonlight appeared as flashes of lightening as he ran, and even that was hard to see. He came upon his prey instantaneously. He pounced, fangs extending from his canines anticipating the ripping that came with the victory the ripping into a supple throat that provided the life he needed.

He sank his newly aquired fangs into the soft furry throat of the thrashing dear, but missed his mark. Veins were slow, the life seeping away and taking so long to sate his hunger. He lunged again, this time striking the precious artery, the mad river of life flowed raging into his mouth and down his throat filling his cold body with warmth, his deadened limbs with life. He moaned at the pleasure of drinking pure life, but as the heartbeat of the animal slowed the warm of his drink slowly dwindled and he pulled back as his sharpened ears heard the dull and final beat of the animal's heart. He dropped the poor creature to the ground, took a step back and wiped his blood stained mouth on the back of his sleeve, no longer feeling a need to worry about appearances.

His mind swam and he collapsed to his knees. Images came from no where and every where, voices of students from the castle, leaves thrashing nearby, smells hanging in the air the smell of cooling, deadened blood, all of it overwhelming him. He tossed his head back and screamed in pure terror. Moments later two arms were flung around him and his back met firmly with a strong solid chest, Harry Potter's chest, he knew because instinct told him.

"Potter," the blond hissed.

He felt the body at his back stiffen, but the arms around him tightened as their owner spoke, "I'm sorry."

"What have you done to me? I just drank blood and liked it. What was that inside of me? I wasn't there, but I was, almost like a spectator. Why was I so different. What is this, Potter?" Draco asked as he trembled.

The secure arms pulled back and then Harry moved until he was kneeling before Draco, green eyes locking with gray. "First tell me what you meant when you said 'I died twice because of you.'"

"No, I want answers now!"

"I can't give them to you. I don't know what it is. It only happens when the hunger becomes too much. We are as close to our human selves as we can be when the hunger is sated, but when it becomes over powering the darkness takes over. The darkness chose you, but so did I, a long time ago."

Draco looked up at the boy with a start. "You chose me?"

Harry nodded and then looked down. Draco stood up and began to pace, anger and rage, a powerful blackness surrounding him. "You chose me?! That is all you have to say is that you chose me! Why me Potter?! Why not Weasel or your little mudblood? Why me? Did you want to kill me and enjoy the opportunity of tormenting me in the afterlife? Are you so sadistic that you would venture to create a hell for me with you as my punisher?!"

Harry jumped up and backed the blond against a tree. "How can you even suggest that?! You don't know anything Malfoy! Dammit! You don't know what I've been through. You don't know what I did to Voldemort, especially after..."

"After what?" Draco challenged.

"He killed him. Voldemort killed my sire."

"Your sire? What is a sire, Potter?"

"I am your sire! You work it out for yourself!" Harry snapped.

"Oh," Draco said and then lifted his eyebrow as his lip twitched in a smirk. "Oh... Potter, did the Dark Lord kill your little blood sucking lover?"

Harry's bright green eyes flashed the color of mercury. "Don't you ever speak of him like that. Not after I thought he was..."

"Who was he?"

"I met him over the summer, he provided me with an escape from the Dursleys. I didn't find out what he was until after school had begun. I would meet him here in the forest. One night I came out and I found him and he'd taken a deer, just as you did only a few minutes ago. That's when he offered me the darkness. I refused," Harry said softly and then released Draco from his grip.

"Then how did we end up members of this exclusive fist and fang club? No let me rephrase that. How did you become a blood sucking fiend and claim me as a lover without my express permission!" Draco growled.

"Fenton finally seduced me. He kissed me and then he did things... We made love, and right after, while I was still disoriented he... He changed me. My change was worse than yours. You see it was almost dawn, so he took me to the shrieking shack, where he'd taken to living. I was hugnry once the change was complete, hungry almost bordering on madness. By the time the sun had set I was an animal, some savage beast. He let me go and I prowled the grounds. I attacked a man, but Fenton, he pulled me back and then I remember taking down a rather large werewolf..."

"You've said Fenton twice. Was that his name?" Draco asked interrupting.

"Yes," Harry snapped and then continued, "I don't know when I fell in love with him. Was it that summer when he took me away from the Dursleys, was it our meetins in the forest? I don't know, perhaps it was gradual. But once I was changed, I was his, and I couldn't escape that. I can't go on. Not tonight. It's almost dawn at any rate. Perhaps it would be best for us to find shelter."

"Where do you have in mind, Potter?"

"The shrieking shack is as good a place as any. There is a cellar that is rather dark and cool," Harry answered.

"A basement of an abandoned wreck of what they dare to call a shack? You expect me to sleep there during the day with you?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well I could always leave you to the sun and then use a broom to sweep you up at dusk. Of course I don't know if I could stand losing a second lover. Not so close after losing Fenton. Wait awhile before going all suicidal."

"As long as you are aware that there will be no raping me of any kind," Draco stated bluntly.

Harry nearly choked. "Raping?"

"Well, Potter, you killed me! I would not put ravaging me without my consent past you!"

"Malfoy, the things I could do to you would make you more than willing," Harry said with a grin.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the dark haired boy. "Promises, promises. I thought you Gryffindors were above empty words of honor."

Draco followed Harry as they ran wild and abandoned to the shrieking shack. The pair entered it and it was indeed a broken down building that smelled of decay. Draco grumbled a complaint about his mouldy surroundings until Harry led him downstairs into the cellar. Draco's mouth fell open in surprise. The cellar was a richly decorated elaborate bedroom. With a huge four poster bed carved in a scrolling pattern from rich oak and stained a deep dark mahagony. The curtains and covers over the bed were a dark blue almost black color, and the coverlet was black and velvet. There was carpet on the floor, deep blue carpet, and there was a stove for warmth and two plush dark blue velvet chairs set near the stove. There was also a door to the left of the bed, and a wardrobe across from the bed. Draco also noticed a set of shackles on the far wall on the right. He looked from the shackles to Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, well Potter, what have we here? The wreck above is quite the hiding place for this. Where did all of this come from? And since when have you had taste?"

Harry ran his tongue nervously across his lips. "This was Fenton's place, He was a lot like you in expensive taste. He sometimes bought me things, a black velvet cloak, I'm surprised you never noticed it."

"You mean he sent you presents?" Draco said in awe and then quickly checked himself, Malfoys were not meant to show awe of anything. "That cloak? He sent you that cloak? It was a beauty. I always wondered where you got it. So what did he look like?"

Harry's entire countenance stiffened, and then he turned slowly toward Draco as the blond fell in an elegant heap on the bed. "Why do you want to know?"

"Merely curiosity."

"He was taller than me, looked a lot like you in the face, and he had the softest hair I'd ever touched in my life, and it was gold, molten gold. His eyes were molten gold too. He was a work of magic, but he looked like sunlight. Maybe that was why I never knew what he was until that night I found him feeding..." Harry's voice trailed.

"Is that why you chose me? I remind you of him?"

Harry shook his head. "It isn't that all. He used a glamour to seduce me. You see I did love Fenton, but I wanted you," again he paused. "So he gave you to me. Or rather he took on your appearance to seduce me. You are the reason I died, the reason I became this."

Malfoy sat up on the bed. "That's it? You fell for the illusion of my pretty face on some vampire and now here we are?"

Harry turned away. "Don't turn away from me Potter!"

Draco got off of the bed with lightening fast movements and grabbed Harry by the shoulders, turning him around. "What is it that you want? Has it always been about me, Potter?"

Harry wouldn't answer, so Draco went on. "Fine then! I'll tell you something! It's always been about you, Potter. That moment in the robe shop. When you chose Weasley over me. All the pranks, all the insults, all the worry when you went missing, and then the pain when they told the school you were dead! Dammit all to hell Potter, hating you made me feel, gave me a heart and then the line switched, that thin line between love and hate quivered until I didn't hate you anymore! Now that same line is a direct link to you, because you've sired me!"

"I love you too, Malfoy!" Harry snapped and then grabbed the blonde's face between his hands and then pressed his lips savagely to that soft mouth.

Draco shoved him back, breaking the kiss. Harry looked at him, his eyes darkening. Then Draco grabbed Harry and kissed him with a savage vigor that rivaled Harry's kiss of only moments before. The two kissed and fought back and forth until they no longer fought, but gave into the passion driving them. When they were quite finished they were a laughing naked heap in the tangled covers of the bed.

"Harry," Draco whispered

Harry was drawing small invisible circles on Draco's right shoulder with his finger when he gave a little "hmmm?"

"Was it my imagination or did you mention a handfasting to make this official?"

"Does this mean that I've made up for claiming you as my lover?" Harry asked with a sly grin.

Draco rolled his eyes. "We Malfoys are a vindictive lot. It is going to take more than that to earn my forgiveness, but you've made a wonderful start..."

He was cut off as Harry leaned over him and caught his lips in a kiss full of emotion that demanded response, and respond Draco did as his arms wound around Harry's body drawing the boy closer, drawing the light closer to the darkness in a strange, yet strong, embrace. When they parted again Draco grinned.

"Potter, even as a vampire I can still see you as the light to my darkness."

Harry just looked up with a raised eyebrow and began to laugh, a rich airy laugh that left much to be desired.