Beyond Death

"It's too late" the old man said from behind the gates bars and by the mournful expression of his face I knew it was true. Instantly, I felt something break inside me and emptiness settled in place. He was gone. Forever. And I, the ever optimistic person, had great difficulty in accepting this fact. Because, I always thought that he was a strong person, that could conquer everything....How foolishly stupid of me.

After the old man left, I stood at the gates of his mansion, freezing, with my eyes glazed, trying to remember some of the good times we had together: the long walks in the sun, the dinners with my family and his, even if his parents never liked me. I can even say that they absolutely loathed me, for the fact that their only son and heir had fallen in love with me and not with one of their own kind. I will never feel his expesive cologne smell or the kisses, timid at first and which with time had grown in intensity and passion and everything else which had made me cherish every moment I spend with him.

Now…everything was like a dream and the only thing I feel real, are the feelings I had and I still have for him. Suddenly, in the haze of the moment, I wasn't sure anymore of the reality of the moments we spent together. It seemed like it had been only a dream…or a wishful thinking… My head was spinning, dizziness almost sweeping me off my feet and I gripped the iron bars of the gate to steady myself. I was looking around, shaking my head, trying to clear the foggy curtain which had settled on my mind, while distanced memories emerged from the depths of my mind, mocking me.

I stood there, breathing loudly trough my nose, trying to shake off the hyperventilating feeling and the claw-like grip which had surounded my heart, threatening to squeeze every ounce of life and emotion I had in it, to make me hit the bottomless hole of despair.

After some time, the mist of confusion started to dissipate and I felt like I was also dying because I knew that it wasn't worth living without him, my reason of living. He was the one who gave me the power to look forward, to never give up and to stand up every time I was down. However, the sudden screech of the opening gates brought me back to reality. I took a step forward, half-expecting to see him running towards the gates to greet me, as he always used to. I caught one of icy iron bars with my gloved hand in the moment I saw the old man standing there, dressed all in black with a sorrowful face, instead of my beautiful blonde. He had returned and I asked him:

"Where is he?"

After a long moment, in which neither of us seemed to breathe, he sighed and he offered to take me where he knew the body of my love lay. He told me that he was doing it because he knew I loved his young master. I nodded in agreement while passing the huge, black gates. I had passed them many times in the past, but I never stopped to look closely at it. And how could I, when the most beautiful man in the entire world, always came to greet me, his eyes sparkling with joy and his pale face a bit rosy with what back then I couldn't decide the cause: the effort he was doing while running towards the gates or the fact that every time he saw me he had a pretty blush on his cheeks, wasn't there anymore.

But now, I stopped for a few moments and traced the sharp outlines of the dragons which surrounded the initials of his family crest with my fingerless gloves, which now seemed scary and dark. An icy shiver ran down my spine, and I pulled my hand closer to myself, passing the gloomy gate, towards the darkness of the small number of trees, surrounding the manor.

Following the old butler, I passed through a small, beautiful garden, which in other times was packed with flowers, especially white roses, Draco's favourites, which now they weren't present anymore.

After a few moments, we passed trough the two meters high wall of the closest fence, into a secluded aria which seemed to be a small cemetery, that Draco didn't mention me of it too may times.

"This is the Malfoys family graveyard," the old man said. "Young's master every ancestor was buried here. And here is where his body lays."

Despite all these information I kept receiving, my mind continued to refuse to accept the idea of him dead. He didn't deserve to die. I never met such a pure person as Draco was. I know that he might not have been the best person of the year in the past, but in my eyes he didn't have any flaws. It might seem cheesy for other people, but for me, he was a perfect being, which fate has deemed me worthy of.

We crossed the graveyard, heading towards some crypts I was barely able to see through the fog which surrounded them, and which slowly but surely, had finally started to rise. Too soon, the moon allowed us to continue our way, making our road easier toward the dreaded place I never thought I would see this soon.

As we almost reached them, there was no sound. Not a single night bird dared to sing, as if they all kept quiet in order to respect the crossing of the living towards the underworld. Slowly but surely both my mind and heart started accepting the truth. Yesterday seemed like a moment ago, and I could still feel the small kiss his lips left on my palm, the scent of his expensive perfume lingering in my nose.

I looked at the doors of the small white crypt, looking forward to seeing him lay there in what I could imagine to be a long, white casket made of marble, which I knew will make his pale complexion look ethereal. Suddenly, fear surrounded my heart, squeezing the last drops of courage left there. I was afraid to go in, but the biggest fear was living without seeing him for the last time. I wanted to tell him that I loved him and to wait me, because one day I will accompany him. Before pushing the crypt's doors, one last thought passed my mind: In the world of living, I lost everything.

As I entered the crypt, I was both scared and shocked at the sight laid before me and I couldn't help but staring at it. He was chained to the wall, his hair, a lot longer than I used to know, obscuring his face. His body, which before seemed to be lither, had a nice fulfilment, every curve standing out in his white, threaded clothes. I wanted to run to him, to get him down and to pull him in my arms, to make sure it was not a dream, but reality.

Before I could even make a step, I realised that he raised his head slowly and trough the curtain of hair, he was looking at me, lost and confused. But for me, who was slowly recovering from the stupour, what truly mattered, in that moment, was the fact that he was alive. I took a step closer, watching his beautiful face, his searching and astonished eyes, his perfect lips that parted ever so slightly, allowing me to see two pearly little fangs almost piercing his chapped lips. And at that moment, it downed on me. He was a vampire. And I believe that my realisation was carved in my faces features because his head and shoulders slumped and his fangs pierced his rosy pale lips, blood dribbling down his chin. He was in pain. That was what I realised at first. But it was not a physical pain. In my shocked induced state he must have thought that even that way I would reject him. And that thought only made my heart stop. I could never reject him. That was one of the most certain things in my life. I loved him. And that would never change, no matter what.

As if my legs had a mind of their own, they stared moving forward towards him. Soon after, I kneeled in front of him. I raised my arms and gripped his chin gently, slowly raising his head up, trying to convey trough my eyes the feelings which he foolishly thought that were too shallow to accept him now. By the time our eyes connected, I was sure that my feelings were both conveyed and responded.

He closed his eyes and sighed and parted his lips, as if he was inviting me to kiss those dehydrated lips better. I slowly leaned forward, kissing his lips smoothly, which made his breath hitch. I smiled. This was my Draco. The one who was always surprised by my unexpected kisses or actions. I licked his lips dry of the blood which was still lingering on. My left hands' fingers cleaned the remaining blood on his chin. Suddenly, two arms shot up and curled around my head, the chains screeching following soon. My body's frail equilibrium dropped and I fell in his arms, my face on his bare chest, my arms automatically curling around his poor clothed waist in possession. He laughed slightly, his chest vibrating across my face. Then, he sighed again and smelled my hair in contentment.

"You know what?" he said, his voice croaking a little as if he had been screaming a lot, "I never thought that you will come here. I thought that in the moment Simon will tell you I died you will leave and go on with your life. How silly of me huh?"

Hearing those words, all the strength I had left in my body left, leaving behind only weakness. I hadn't realised that I started crying until I felt his arms leaving my neck and a moment later my head was raised by two cold palms, which strangely enough made my skin heating up. While my eyes kept spilling tears, I started biting my lips, in a failing attempt to refrain the small sobs that ripped trough my chest. But it didn't work. . All I could do was to stay there, crying and sobbing in front of him like a lost child.

Seeing me that way, he smiled fondly into my hair. I believe he hadn't expected me to react in this way. He put his arms gently around me, pushing my face in the crook of his neck, allowing me to keep pouring out my feelings and fears through tears. When I finally spent all my tears, I kissed his neck, to let him know that my tears had finally dried out.

At that moment, he hugged me, stronger than ever, as if he was trying to imprint my form in his arms. Than when he felt me relax against him, he tensed.

"Harry? " he called me.

"Hmm?"

"You know that you can't stay here, don't you?"

"But why?" I mumbled like a child who asked his parents why couldn't he stay more after the curfew.

"I believe you realised what I truly am, didn't you hon?"

"Yes but I don't care," I said stubbornly. "I can't lose you again. I don't care what you are Draco," I said while I pushed myself up, in order to look him in the eye, to let him see my determination. "I love you for who you are. From my point of view, you could have turn into a horn-tailed slug and I wouldn't care. "

He sighed, knowing that what I said was the truth.

"You know, after this whole changing", he said, his face twisting in a ugly scowl, " I was prepared to let you go. My parents convinced me that I should let you go. That you will forget me in the end. It is in human nature to forget with time. And that you would do that too. Altough, a big part of me hoped that you would never forget me. That you would keep my existance meaningful, if only for yourself, now that every one knows that I died. However, you decided to hold on onto me. When I saw you entering the crypt, following Simon, I thought that I had gone crazy. "

I sat there listening to him, his voice soothing my wounded soul. I did not care of what he had become. And nothing will make me leave him or forget him. I kissed his cheek gingerly, stopping his ramblings.

"Draco, even if you would have left, one day I would have followed you. Even beyond death. That is something you must never doubt off. "

"Yes. Now I know that. Thanks to you, "he said, kissing my lips tenderly.

The End!