DISCLAIMERS:

This story is RATED R and includes Harry/Draco SLASH. It is also a vampire fic and a darkfic.

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling, and various publishers, including but not limited to: Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made by this story and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A CRY IN THE DARK
by Daylyn

Draco Malfoy prowled the Forbidden Forest, alone.

His vampire skills were honed for the hunt. Draco knew that soon his hunger would be insatiable, his thirst for blood intense. He was searching for someone to take, to own, to bleed. To kill.

And then he sensed it. A cry in the dark. A shriek of pure pain and torment, of forlorn despair. Draco recognized this cry; he'd heard it before. He knew of one who called out in desperate anguish; he knew whose soul longed for death.

Draco moved toward the tortured cry, his footsteps silent. On the edge of the Forbidden Forest, under the bleached light of the moon, he saw his quarry at the edge of the lake. Harry Potter.

Harry sat listlessly, watching the ripples on the water. Draco silently approached. "Thinking of drowning yourself, Potter?" he asked, standing just behind Harry. "How terribly melodramatic."

Harry leapt up, his wand held at the ready. "Malfoy," he said, his eyes widening in surprise and recognition. A few feet separated the wizard from the vampire. The silence between them was palpable.

"You startled me," Harry said, breaking their gaze and lowering his wand.

"I startled you again?" Draco asked. "Seems that I'm always startling you, out here in the moonlight."

"That was another life, another time," Harry replied. "It's… different now." Harry looked into Draco's silver eyes, bright with preternatural power.

"Yes, it is," Draco agreed. "We're no longer so young… so innocent."

Harry shook his head, pain evident in his haunted green eyes.

Draco moved closer until mere inches separated them. He lifted his hand to Harry's face, fingertips lightly caressing the lightening-bolt scar. "Do you remember that night, Harry?" Draco whispered. "How I found you out here, crying in the moonlight. It was a night like tonight, wasn't it?" Draco leaned in and kissed Harry's jaw.

Harry's eyes closed. "Yes," he replied in a shuddering whisper. He could feel Draco's breath ghosting over his face.

"Do you remember how surprised you were by the taste of our first kiss?" Draco gently kissed the corner of Harry's mouth. "How that kiss quickly fueled our passion? How we spent one night making love, only to be torn apart by dawn's cruel light?"

"Yes," Harry sobbed.

"Do you remember how we held onto each other in desperation, knowing there was nothing we could do to stem what was coming; nothing we could do to prevent the dark times?" Draco asked softly, gently kissing Harry's face. "Two former adversaries, clinging desperately to each other in the night," Draco breathed into Harry's ear.

Harry whimpered.

"You feel that desperation again, tonight, don't you?" Draco whispered, his breath causing Harry to shudder. "But it's worse now, isn't it?"

"Oh god, yes," Harry cried.

"Let me help you again, Harry," Draco murmured, kissing his way up Harry's jaw line. "Let us ease each other's pain like we did that night."

Harry could feel Draco's lips as they kissed his cheeks, his eyes, his scar. Harry felt those lips press against his own, and he shivered as he opened his mouth in response.

The kiss deepened, and Harry's tongue was gently drawn into Draco's mouth and across Draco's teeth. Harry felt the sharp points of the vampire fangs, and pulled back in shock. "No!" Harry cried, and broke away from the embrace.

Draco smiled and minimized the distance between them. He reached out to stroke Harry's face once more. "I truly lived that night, making love to you here under the stars. It was the last night that I was alive."

"Draco, stop," Harry pleaded. Draco leaned in and kissed him again. "Stop," Harry whispered once the kiss ended.

"Do you remember our promise to meet here?" Draco cupped Harry's chin, lifting it up and forcing their eyes to meet. "After it was all over, we were to meet here again." Draco gently kissed him. "And we're here, aren't we? Fulfilling our promises to each other."

"What about our promise to help each other survive?" Harry asked in a lamenting, bitter tone. He shut his eyes tight. "We failed miserably at that, didn't we?"

"That depends," Draco replied, his fingers now caressing Harry's neck, tracing Harry's pulse point. "I still survive," he whispered into Harry's ear. "But I'm alone, Harry. We could still help each other, you know."

"I don't need your help," Harry said, pulling back.

Draco smiled. "Oh really?" he asked. "Then why, pray tell, is The Boy Who Lived planning suicide in the dark?"

Harry stepped back. "I don't know what you mean, Malfoy," he said.

Draco moved closer once more. Harry looked wary but determined to hold his ground. Draco whispered into Harry's ear, "I can sense your swirling thoughts. I can taste your despair. Your guilt."

Harry froze, panting erratically as Draco continued to breathe in his ear. "My guilt?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, your guilt," Draco replied. "I can sense it, Harry." Draco moved behind Harry, and gently tilted his head to one side. "You feel like you killed everyone you ever cared for, don't you?" Draco continued, his lips softly kissing Harry's neck.

"Yes," came Harry's muffled sob. "All dead. I killed them all."

Draco's heightened vampire senses perceived Harry's increased heartbeat, his unsteady breath. Draco could almost taste the rapidly pumping blood. His hunger increased. He wanted Harry. He needed him. Draco longed for Harry to end his loneliness. He longed to consume him, to consume his life, his blood, his love, his soul.

Draco ran his tongue lightly along Harry's neck, up to the earlobe, sensing the pulse. "You killed no one, Harry. It wasn't your fault," Draco said softly, sucking on the ear, drawing in Harry's turmoil and pain.

"I killed everyone," Harry sobbed. "They all died because of me. My parents, Sirius, Cedric, Hermione, so many Weasleys, Dumbledore, even Snape." Harry turned his head to meet Draco's eyes. "Even you, Draco. Even you."

Draco turned Harry's head to the other side, and lightly sucked on Harry's neck. Not drawing blood… yet. Just anticipating the moment. The vampire's blood lust was increasing. Draco knew it would soon overwhelm him. Harry whimpered.

Draco slowly sucked his way up to Harry's ear. "You didn't kill me," Draco countered. "The Dark Lord changed me. He's the one who brought the vampires into the Second War."

"No, you don't understand," Harry argued. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been hurt. I loved you, and that love marked you for death."

"I didn't die." Draco bit Harry's earlobe drawing blood, causing Harry to whimper. "I just lost everything." Draco sucked; Harry gasped. "I'm alone, Harry. My family's gone. My friends are dead. Like you, I have nothing left." Draco pulled his mouth away from Harry's life force. "Nothing, except you."

Draco's mouth drifted down Harry's neck, nuzzling at the pulse point. Harry moaned quietly. "You are dead, Draco," Harry stated. "You're the living dead. A vampire. A killer."

Draco smiled into Harry's neck. "Ah, then based on everything you're saying, I'm a killer like yourself."

"No," Harry cried, trying to pull away. Draco held him in place. "No," Harry repeated quietly. "I was forced to kill Voldemort. I was forced… the others died because of that."

"And I'm forced to kill… as a vampire," Draco countered. "I'm forced to kill to survive. Like you." Draco's tongue moved to the back of Harry's neck, slowly sucking. "You survived, didn't you, Harry? You killed to survive."

Harry merely whimpered.

Draco's arms encircled Harry's body. The blood lust was becoming uncontrollable. He moved his mouth back to Harry's neck. "But now you long for death, don't you?" Draco asked. "And I long for you." Draco kissed Harry's neck once more. "Let me make you like me… a vampire."

Harry's breath hitched, his body tensing, his heart rate increasing. "Draco, no," he whispered.

"Harry," Draco said. "It's all over now, for both of us. And you know it. You know it's your time… your time to die. That's why you came out here tonight. You came here to die. I sensed your cry in the dark. You want it. You need it. And I'm going to give it to you."

"Draco …" Harry broke off, his voice strangled, as Draco began to suck on his neck again.

"I need you," Draco whispered. "And you need me. We can finally be together."

Harry sobbed. "Draco, not like this."

Draco turned Harry's head toward him, kissing Harry's tears from his face. "You know you want to die, Harry. You want this pain to end. So do I. Join me, and your death can become our life."

"Not like this," Harry pleaded. "Not as killers."

"Killers?" Draco exclaimed. "You are a killer. You said it yourself. Everyone you love is dead because of you. Everything you touch is destroyed. Look at what I am because of you."

Harry's breath hitched. "I didn't mean for you to be turned into a vampire," he sobbed. "Kill me if you must, but please, don't turn me into a monster."

"A monster?" Draco replied. "You'd never be a monster, Harry. You're beautiful. And my gift will give you life. It will give us life… together."

Draco could feel Harry trembling. "Together?"

Draco's lust for blood lust was becoming irresistible. He knew he had to have Harry, right then. Draco moved his mouth back to Harry's neck, fangs bared. "I won't lose you again, Harry." Draco bit down, sucking Harry's blood, draining his life.

"No, Draco!" Harry cried out, yanking away with surprising strength, two streams of blood flowing down his neck. "No," he said again in a panted, broken whisper.

"You don't understand, Potter," Draco growled, his need for blood desperate. "I will have you tonight. I won't be denied anymore." Draco forcefully lunged for Harry, who barely had time to raise his arms in defense before he was knocked to the ground.

Pain. Sharp, shearing pain encompassed Draco, pulsating from his chest. Draco drew in a shuddering breath and looked down at the space between them. Harry's holly wand was impaled in Draco's chest. A perfect wooden stake piercing a shattered lonely heart.

Shocked silver eyes lifted to meet terrified green ones. For one infinite moment, their gazes locked. They were sending, receiving, and suffering each other's feelings, thoughts, and fears. A wind blew, the moment was gone, and the end had come.

As Draco was overwhelmed by darkness, he thought he heard a whispered, "I'm sorry," but then he knew no more.