Poison

The night air had a concentrated iciness, a sharp clarity, unusual clearness, that seemed slightly surreal. There would be snow on the ground by morning. But the lake had not frozen, and the moonlight shone on the slightly rippling surface of the water, as it had for years before. And they watched it, alone, together, as they had for years before.

But today had been different, and so tonight would be; and Harry would be gone by tomorrow; and if he did not leave, he would be killed.

They both knew this. That there would be no more secret meetings, no more hidden glimpses, no more unspoken thoughts understood in stolen glances. There would be no where to run to, no one to go to. When things were bad, as they always were, there would be no hope- when they got worse, as they always did, there would be no respite. No savior.

Tonight would be the end, and they knew this.

They were together now, yet standing apart, not looking at each other, not touching each other. They rarely spoke. They never touched. But they always knew.

"You must run," Draco said quietly, his voice emotionless.

A moment passed as they watched the moonlight on the water. Harry's voice was low. "I cannot."

"You must."

"I cannot."

"Potter-"

"I cannot live without you."

Draco smirked, slowly, contemptuously, as he looked out on the water, but the expression did not reach his eyes.

Eventually he turned to Harry, his movement sharp and precise. He was no longer smirking- his mouth was an impassive slash across his marble face. He stared at Harry a moment, at Harry's profile, his dark hair blowing in the wind across the water. At Harry's dark eyelashes against the night sky- at the glistening of tears on his skin...

"You cannot live without me." Draco's voice was little more than a whisper- emotionless; a statement, not a question.

Harry's voice was barely a sigh. "Never."

Draco's eyes narrowed as his eyes followed one tear gleaming in the moonlight. Then he sighed, imperceptibly, as something in his eyes changed. He opened his mouth, and his voice was lower, calmer, softer.

"Then- you must die with me."

Harry turned now, his motions slow, but exact, as his eyes left the water and met Draco's. He lifted his chin up slightly; his face darkened slightly; his eyes narrowed as he stood up slightly straighter. He spoke quietly, but his voice was strong.

"Yes."

Draco stepped forwards, and Harry moved slightly to meet him. They stopped in front of each other, their eyes on each other, staring into each other's faces, silently. Harry's lips parted slightly, and Draco closed his eyes briefly as Harry's warm breath caressed his skin.

"Don't you know..." Harry breathed. "How much you mean to me..."

Draco's voice was softer than the wind. "Yes."

His eyes opened slowly, and he looked up into Harry's dark green eyes staring into his. In the years before, they had been clouded, obscured; but now they were clear, almost serene.

Draco reached out suddenly, his hands cold, and brushed his fingers lightly against Harry's face... he smirked as Harry shivered slightly- he trailed his thumb gently along Harry's cheek, wiping away his tears, his cold steel eyes suddenly tender, soft. Harry lowered his eyelashes slowly, one last tear falling on Draco's thumb... Draco turned away, holding his hand up, the tear glittering in the moonlight.

"It is only right..." Draco whispered softly, the cold wind in his hair, "that it should end like this..." He took a deep breath, breathing out fog in the cold moonlight- "You... and me..."

They stood there a moment, bathed in moonlight, serene in silence, Draco looking at the stars, Harry looking at Draco.

Then Harry spoke again, his breath hot on Draco's neck: "Yes."

Draco turned back towards Harry, the moonlight slanting across his marble features. Harry looked at him sideways, then turned his eyes to the sky, the stars reflected in his eyes.

Minutes passed as Draco watched Harry watching heaven...

"It is time now."

Harry turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting Draco's- he parted his lips slightly, his face tranquil.

"I know."

Draco's eyes glinted again with their usual steeliness as he reached into a pocket of his robes. "You are ready for this, Potter." He left nothing hanging in the air, there was no questioning in his voice.

"I am ready for anything," Harry replied softly, almost solemnly, looking into Draco's eyes.

"Anything?" Draco repeated, a hint of mocking in his voice.

"Anything," Harry said, quietly, his mouth curving slightly. "Anything... with you."

"Naturally," Draco said softly, a hint of dismissiveness in his tone. He tilted his chin down slightly, looking into Harry's green eyes, his slightly parted lips. "This is the end, Potter, you're completely sure about this..."

"How many times are you going to make me tell you," Harry breathed, his eyes glinting in the moonlight, "that I love you?"

"Potter," Draco murmured, "you've never told me that before..."

"But you've known."

"Of course."

"Yes."

"And you've known I love you?" Draco said softly, moving closer, his pale skin mere inches from Harry's, the vial held gently in his hand

Harry smiled slightly: "Of course."

"Now," Draco breathed, "we must die, and let this moment live forever..."

"Yes," Harry whispered.

Their voices were slight whispers in the silence of the night- as the wind, blowing softly before, gusted harder. Strands of Draco's silky blonde hair blew on Harry's forehead, as they leaned closer and touched heads, Harry's arms around Draco, Draco's hands around the small glass vial-

"Potter," Draco hissed, breaking away from him, deftly opening the vial and throwing the stopper aside. "Potter- look at this-" He had dipped his finger in the bottle, and was holding his finger up in the moonlight- the shiny liquid gleamed on his finger, the color between crimson and black, the sheen of blood. "The poison I will kill you with..."

"Yes... but it is not you who is responsible for my death..." Harry breathed.

"No..?" Draco said softly.

"It is only with you- that I ever lived..." Harry murmured.

"Potter, I love you."

"Malfoy... I love you too..."

Then they looked at each other, and their eyes intensified; and then Draco had tossed away the vial, and then they were laughing, their laughter glorious in the cold night. And Draco smeared Harry's lips with the dark poison on his finger; stared a moment at the beauty of Harry shouting in joy, the dark scarlet poison on his lips like war paint, and without hesitating, pressed his lips on Harry's, hard- Draco could feel Harry shiver, as they wrapped their arms around each other; and he was kissing him harder, searching each other, tasting their own blood and the bittersweet poison and the irresistible sweetness of each other, as they collapsed on the ground and faded away, their lips on each other's, their arms wrapped around each other...

Gone, forever...

Evanesced. Together....