Stay With Me

Harry loves Colin. Colin can see it in his eyes.

And Colin loves Harry - so very, very much. They're made to be together, it's just perfect.

Harry needs the unconditional love that Colin can give him, no matter what - all these people placing such heavy expectations on his shoulders, relying on him, waiting for him to save them all again! That isn't what Harry needs - can't they see he's already perfect? He doesn't need to prove himself to them!

Colin loves Harry as he is - already perfect.

And Harry loves Colin for this, Colin knows it.

Harry doesn't show it outwardly, but Colin can see it - it's evident in the curl of a lip, the quirk of an eyebrow; it peeks through in the flash of green eyes into the camera, as Colin pores again and again over his stack of well-thumbed photographs. It's so obvious.

Colin often can't sleep these days - his head is too full of Harry. The war is approaching and his heart swells with so much love and pride and worry as he watches Harry prepare himself that he can't shut his thoughts off at night.

He has taken to sitting in the common room during the night, staring into the fire, thinking - of course - about Harry.

He imagines the moment Harry will confess his love for Colin - it will be beautiful.

Colin pictures the adoration shining from Harry's painfully green eyes, the open honest trust etched into every line of his face, and his fingers itch for his camera.

Such beauty.

He shakes his head and chuckles slightly at his own stupidity. He can't take a picture of something that doesn't exist!

A noise on the stairs to his right makes him snap out of his reverie. He turns to see who it is - and sees Harry coming down the steps from his dorm room, feet slapping on the cold stone.

At the sight, a surge of warm love rushes through Colin's body, happiness filling him - clutching at his heart, tugging his mouth up into a grin, dancing behind his eyes, tingling at his toes.

Harry falters as he catches sight of Colin.

"Oh - Colin. Hi. I'm sorry - I didn't think there would be anyone down here - I couldn't sleep, and I was a bit cold, so I thought I'd come down, sit in front of the fire...but, if you want, I could--"

"Oh no, Harry! Don't worry, stay! I'd love your company!" says Colin, beaming brilliantly.

Harry flashes a small, grateful grin and comes across to flop in an armchair near Colin.

Colin sighs happily and closes his eyes for a second as he feels the love behind that grin strike him like a ray of sunshine, and suddenly he's filled with knowledge, a surety - tonight will be the night. Here, in the deserted common room, in front of the softly crackling fire, he and Harry will drop their pretences and the blinding force of their love will shine out, and they will lie in each other's arms, and it will be beautiful. He feels giddy with blissful anticipation, and grips the arms of his chair hard, eyes screwed shut, to stop himself from simply floating away.

He opens his eyes to see Harry looking at him oddly - concerned.

"Uh, are you alright, Colin?"

"Oh, Harry," breathes Colin. "I'm wonderful. "

Harry blinks, then turns his head back towards the fire. "Oh. Well, that's good then."

"Harry," says Colin meaningfully. Harry turns his head again.

"Yeah?"

"It's OK. You can say it."

A small frown line appears between Harry's eyebrows. Colin wants to touch it.

"Uhm...say what, Colin?"

"We don't need to pretend anymore, Harry!" Colin says earnestly. He stands up and walks over to Harry's chair, looking fondly down at him. He reaches out and gently brushes strands of hair out of Harry's eyes.

"We can be free."

Harry's eyes are as wide as saucers, and he shifts uncomfortably.

"Colin, I don't...I mean, I...look...COLIN!"

His voice rises on a squeak and he jerks in his seat as Colin slides in close, straddling Harry's hips with his knees. Harry gapes at Colin as Colin takes Harry's face in his hands.

"I love you, Harry. So much. We're perfect together - we can make each other so happy--"

Harry finds his voice and hurriedly intervenes. "Look, Colin - I really don't know what kind of idea you've got, or where you got it from, but I'm not...I don't...I'm sorry, Colin."

He places his hands against Colin's chest and tries to push him off - but Colin is surprisingly strong.

He smiles down at Harry and takes his hands off Harry's face to cover Harry's hands with his own.

"Oh Harry - don't you see? You don't need to resist it anymore! Forget everyone else! Tonight is for us!"

He leans forward and presses his lips against Harry's - Harry twists his head to the side and lets out a strangled squawk.

"Colin! No! What are you - get off me! I mean it!"

Harry's struggling, but he can't move - Colin's sitting on his legs and is gripping his hands hard.

Colin moves back slightly and pins Harry's hands above his head, a mad light dancing in his eyes.

"Shush, Harry! You'll have everyone down here! You don't want then interrupting us, do you?"

Colin leans in to kiss him again, but Harry's thrashing his head from side to side.

"Get--off--me--Colin!"

"Harry! Stop it! Look at me! Stop resisting it -- you know you love me -- I love you -- we need to be together!"

He lets go of Harry's hands, and grabs onto Harry's face - with the strength born of such desperate love, he wrenches it round to face him.

There's a sickening crack.

Harry's body goes limp under his, unresisting at last, green eyes staring finally -- unseeing -- into Colin's.

Colin's mouth curls into a tender smile, and he gently detaches his hands from their grip on Harry's face, stroking over Harry's cheeks. He runs a thumb over Harry's mouth.

"There - darling - see? It's alright now. I told you you didn't need to fight it."

He kisses Harry's mouth - the lips give easily under his.

"I'll make you so happy."

He snuggles against Harry, the two of them curled up cosily together in the armchair.

"I know. I love you too. Stay with me. We'll be together - uh...nnnngh - forever," he pants, tugging with a grunt Harry's already stiffening arms around him, enfolding him in a loving embrace.

"You won't need to worry about anything else, ever again, Harry. You've got me. Forever."