Title: False Fire
Rating: M
Pairings: DMHP, (completely unintended and only there is you squint) LVHP
Warnings: Mentions of slash, character death, and torture. A bit of a mind-fuck.
Summary: Reality. Memory. Fantasy. False fire in the night. Only one thing is real.

False Fire

Reality. Memory. Fantasy.

Reality. Memory. Fantasy.

Reality. Memory. Fantasy.

"Is it true, Potter? You're in love with me."

"You've lost, Potter. Just give in."

"Nothing is real anymore."

Pain! So much pain. Harry screamed. Bellatrix's insane laugh rang through his head as he writhed under the force of her Crucio. Voldemort sat on his "throne" smiling in amusement at the scene. Harry closed his eyes, and ran from the hall. He ran from the laughter of his schoolmates. Children were so cruel. It wasn't like he'd chosen to fall in love. He hadn't wanted to fall in love with"Draco!" Harry moaned as the blond slowly caressed him. Draco was so gentle as he slipped the third finger inside Harry's quivering hole, Harry could only moan in pain! It hurt so much. Even after the actual curse had been lifted, the aftershocks left him twitching. Voldemort called "what's the matter, Potter. I thought you wanted to kiss me." Harry tried to keep the hurt he was feeling buried deep down as he screwed his face up in anger and pushed Draco away. "You're an arse!" he yelled as he smiled, falling back on the bed with relief. Draco smiled down at him and carded fingers through his hair. "You seem tired, Harry. Go ahead and rest. I'll stay with you until morning."

"Potter and Malfoy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Harry tried to ignore the taunts as he pushed through the crowd of obnoxious schoolchildren. He hurried around the corner and slammed into the last person he wanted to see at that moment. Voldemort smiled, which usually wasn't a good sign for Harry. Of course the Dark Lord couldn't really smile, seeing as he didn't have any lips, but that was beside the point. Voldemort's amusement usually meant Harry's imminent discomfort. And if the smile on his face wasn't enough warning, the glint in Voldemort's eye was enough to set Harry's body trembling in the anticipation of pleasure. Harry moaned as he felt Draco pressing against his well-prepared hole and slowly slipping inside. This was a wondrous feeling, being so connected with Draco, so full, so completely entwined. It was terrifying knowing his fate, knowing that he'd lost this war; that he had failed; that his only purpose now was to bring Voldemort pleasure through his own pain. He'd lost count of the number of curses that had been shot at him. He'd given up on trying to fight back. He'd given up hope of being saved. He'd given up period. He just wanted to sleep."You sleep way too much," Draco complained. "I'm tired!" Harry said back. "You're always tired," Draco complained, "I'm horny." "You're always horny," Harry shot back, "And I think I have reason to be tired: I'm in the middle of fighting a war!" "What war, Potter? It's over. You've lost.""I can't give up."

The news of Harry's crush on Draco had travelled fast. Hermione tried to console him, saying that everyone would get tired of this and find something else to talk about soon. Harry didn't want t hear her faux-kind words when he could see the disapproval in her eyes. None of this was supposed to happen anyway. No one was supposed to find out, especially not "DRACO!" Harry screamed. The blond turned to look at him. He looked confused, as if he didn't understand what had just happened. Harry watched in slow motion as Draco crumpled to the ground. This shouldn't have happened! Harry ran towards Draco's fallen body. Tears filled his eyes as he met Draco's lifeless gaze. Draco Malfoy was dead. He was gone. This was the fate that awaited all those Harry loved. Harry screamed as he was cursed again. Voldemort's voice cut through the sound and whispered straight into Harry's cracked mind; telling him how worthless and useless he was. How he was a failure that couldn't save anyone. He was pitiful and deserved to die. "I'll kill you, Potter," Voldemort said, "After I'm done with you. I love you." Harry smiled. Those three words always filled him with such utter joy that he thought he'd never stop smiling for the rest of his days. "I love you, too." He said. And he meant it. He loved Draco with all his he heart. He loved him with every fiber of his being. He hated him. He hated what he'd made him become. He hated that he'd brought him down to the level of nothing more than a sniveling fool, begging to be released from his pain. He hated him so much.

Draco pushed Harry up against the wall so hard Harry was sure he would have a large bump there later. Draco pointed his wand menacingly at the Gryffindor's throat. "Stay away from me, you disgusting little fag, or you'll get what's coming to you." Harry moaned at the feeling of Draco moving inside of him. "Love you so much." Lucius Malfoy was standing outside the cell where Harry was being kept. He was looking at Harry with a cold, blank look that revealed nothing of his emotions. Harry couldn't stand having that gaze on him, but that was in part due to the fact that Lucius and his son looked so much alike. "How is it that you can still serve him after what happened to Draco?" Harry wanted to know. Lucius' eyes were still cold and blank. "My son was an unfortunate casualty of war and an unforeseen accident. He had been in the wrong place and the wrong time, and he paid the price. It had nothing to do with our lord." "I'll always love you, Harry. Don't you ever forget that. You mean the world to me." Harry smiled. Voldemort walked a slow circle around where Harry lay bleeding of the floor. The look in his eye was that of a critic appraising a great piece of art. Every so often, he would raise his wand as shoot another curse at the boy who, by this time, was powerless to resist. Everyone laughed as Harry picked up the books that Draco had knocked out of his arms. He tried to act as if it didn't bother him, but that was hard to do when the person he was in love with was standing there throwing derogatory remarks at him. Harry gathered his books and ran down the hall.

"Is it true, Potter? You love me?"

Yes. It's true. I love you. Even when you're being a cruel bastard, I love you. I love you so much that it's impossible to keep living while you're gone.

"You're stronger that this, Harry. I know you are. Don't give up, you can rise above this."

But I'm so tired. I don't want to fight anymore. I want to rest. I want to sleep. You're sleeping. Why can't a sleep as well?

"You're disgusting, Potter. Just plain disgusting. And useless. You can't do anything right. You're a failure. You should just go die alone in a hole somewhere."

Ok. If you want me to. Anything if you want me to. I love you so much. I'll do anything for you.

The laughter rang the loudest.

"I love you."

Voldemort raised his wand, two words on his lips.

Reality. Memory. Fantasy. Reality. Memory. Fantasy. Reality. Memory. Fantasy.

Reality, memory, fantasy; like a false fire burning in the night. A light that lends no warmth. A heat that brings no light. A phantom caress on your skin. An image just glimpsed from the corner of your eye. A voice carried on the wind. A presence in an empty room. A word o the tip of the tongue. A face that you can't put a name to.

Reality. Memory. Fantasy. Reality. Memory. Fantasy. Reality. Memory. Fantasy.

Nothing makes sense anymore.

Only one thing is real.

Draco.