Harry Potter Truly Content

Two stories in one day! My brain must be bursting with creativity! First of all let me warn you, this is a short ficlet/drabble. Second, it is very sad.

This story is loosely based on the end of Ai no Kusabi. If you know what that is, then you'll understand my warning. I'm not posting this as a crossover though because I don't feel that it really meets the requirements of one. I'd say please enjoy as I normally do but... I'm not this time. However, I hope you leave a review.

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The door was up ahead. Safety was just out of reach as the fiendfyre chased them through the Room of Requirement. They ran faster along the wall until they reached the door, none stopping until they hit the wall across the corridor.

They were alive. Harry made sure they would make it out ok and he had succeeded. Now there was only Voldemort left to deal with.

Harry took a good look at each of the other four to make sure they were all right. They were shaken, but alright. Wait… he counted again. Four? There should have been five others. He turned on the spot but there was no one behind him either. Malfoy was still trapped inside the burning room.

"Shit!" Harry exclaimed. The others looked around and quickly noticed the missing blonde. "I'm going back." He stated as he walked toward the magical door.

"No Harry you can't!" Hermione shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Harry turned back to face his two friends. "If I die, then someone else will have a chance to kill Voldemort. I'm going." He said calmly. He'd already known he was a horcrux for a while now. It didn't really matter if he lived or died, as long as he died first.

As Harry turned back toward the door, Ron had to hold Hermione back to keep her from trying to stop Harry. Neither of them wanted him to go but there was no stopping him once he'd made up his mind.

The moment Harry shut the door behind him, it disappeared. He knew he was never leaving this room again and for a second, he panicked. But then a kind of peace settled in his chest and he didn't seem to mind so much that he was about to die at the age of seventeen.

Immediately Harry set off to his left, the direction they had come from when they were running and retraced their steps.

Upon reaching a wall, he turned left again. He could see almost straight to the opposite end of the cathedral like room and for a moment he was glad there were very few things to burn along the edges of the room.

A short ways up ahead, Harry could make out the huddled form of a person sitting against the wall. He ran to him but slowed to an almost leisurely pace before actually reaching Malfoy.

Harry shoved his hands in his pockets and said, "Hey."

The blonde looked up at him and just as casually said, "Hey."

The brunette sat down next to Malfoy and ran a hand through his messy hair. He took in the other boy's appearance and noticed that his legs were mangled. Harry didn't know if he'd caught fire or if something fell him on but he didn't really care. It didn't matter. They were going to die anyway.

"I bet that hurts." Harry said with a small laugh.

Draco glanced down at his legs. "Like a bitch." He said and they both burst into a fit of giggles for a minute. Then they stared at the fire for a moment and watched as it slowly crept closer.

Harry noticed that the creatures that had formed in the fire had disappeared. It was regular fire now that it was cut off completely from its creator's magic.

"So this is how it ends." Draco mused and glanced at the other boy. Harry nodded just for something to do.

"Out of all the ways I could go, I never thought I'd burn to death." Harry said lightly. "Its gunna hurt like hell."

At this, Draco suddenly perked up. He reached into his robes and pulled out a tiny vial of a crystal clear potion, barely containing more than a swallow. Out of curiosity, Harry scooted closer until he was right up against the other. He had an idea of what might be in the vial.

"We could just go to sleep." Draco said softly. It seemed like a pleasant alternative to their impending doom.

"Draught of Living Death." Harry stated just as gently. Draco nodded as he uncorked the small bottle and brought it up to his mouth.

"Bottoms up." He said.

Harry could feel sweat running down the back of his neck from the heat as he watch Draco hesitate for a moment when the vial touched his pink lips. And for just a second Harry wished they weren't dying so that his lips could take the vial's place. It would've been a great way to die, a kiss and then just falling asleep. He couldn't care less that it was Malfoy.

Then the blonde tipped the entire contents into his awaiting mouth and Harry felt his stomach clench in fear and anger. Even in death Draco stilled had to try and one up Harry, or so he thought.

There was a sound of breaking glass as Draco dropped the vial. He then turned, grabbed a fistful of dark hair and pulled Harry's mouth to his own in a deep kiss. Some of the liquid was forced into Harry's mouth and he made sure to swallow it before returning the kiss.

Harry wasn't sure if it was because it was his last kiss or because of the enthusiasm behind it but it was definitely the best kiss of his life. Even in the face of imminent death, Harry felt a stir in his groin.

As amazing as it would have been to continue beyond just a kiss, there was no time. They were already starting to feel sluggish as the potion coursed through their veins, pulling them into the darkness of sleep and eventually death.

Whether hours or seconds had gone by when they pulled apart, neither of them could tell. They just looked at each other, glad they didn't have to go through it alone. But neither of them spoke. There was nothing left to say.

Everything had been communicated in that one action. Apologies for past behavior and longing to have been friends from the start, maybe… more than friends. But none of it really mattered anymore. They were here now and nothing could change the way it had been.

They wrapped their arms around each other and they both sighed. Somehow they found peace and comfort with each other even as their eyes began to droop. And Harry's last thought was one of regret, that no one could see them in the first and only truly content moment of either of their lives.


End file.

Harry Potter, Hurt-Comfort, Tragedy