It was the end - Blaise was dying.

Blaise was dying and the knowledge of it left me feeling sick.

Not only was Blaise dying, but I knew both what and who was the cause of it.

"You're angry, Draco, calm down," Blaise said weakly from the bed.

"He's killing you, the Dark Lord, he poisoned you, or had you poisoned, it's all the same." My voice was deliberately flat.

"Perhaps. What does it matter? However it came to be, I am going to die."

"You're so calm." Even I could hear the accusation in the words.

"What is there to fear, Draco? I am going to die, why fear the inevitable?" He smiled at me, a smile that quickly dissolved in a pained grimace.

It had only been four hours since he had fallen suddenly ill from the poison coursing through his veins. I knew that there would only be a short couple of hours more, perhaps less. Blaise's body was fighting the poison as best as it could, but I could already see that the strain of the fight was taking a toll of its own. He couldn't live long the way he was, and there was precious little I could do to help.

"Isn't the play of light and shadows on the wall beautiful?" He whispered.

"You indulge in idle thoughts." Another accusation.

"I have time for idle thoughts."

"What time? There is no more time."

"Don't be ridiculous, Draco, there's always more time. You are finite, I am finite, but time, time is forever."

"Don't preach at me, please." I felt very tired and older than I was, but then he sighed and I felt terrible. "I wish you would preach at me forever."

He smiled again, and I knew that I would miss him horribly when he had finally gone.

"What am I going to do without you, Blaise? When I no longer have your advice?" I sighed as he had done, feeling miserable.

"What use is my advice when it is never heeded?" He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly.

"I always heed your advice, Blaise."

"Perhaps."

"Do you have any advice for me now?" I looked away for a moment and then turned back to look at him.

He gazed back thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, advice, my last piece of advice. Listen well, for it is the last word of warning I will ever give you."

"Yes?" I was interested.

"Conceal your truths in words. Natural ambiguity will protect you there. Words are much easier to absorb than are the sharp Delphic stabs of wordless portent. With words, you can cry out in the chorus: 'why didn't someone warm me?' But I did warn you. I warned you by example, not with words. Do you understand, Draco? It doesn't really matter, even if you don't now, you will soon." And again he smiled.

"What do you mean by the natural ambiguity of words?" I though I knew what he meant, but that part puzzled me.

"Words can have many meanings. They can carry any burden we wish. All that's required is agreement and a tradition upon which to build. Thus, words naturally have a certain ambiguity." He sounded weaker than he had a moment before; I felt a touch of fear and thought perhaps he would not live as long as I had expected.

"I understand." I smiled faintly at him, willing him to live.

"Good." He hesitated. "Draco, I… maybe I'm a little more afraid than I thought. I don't want to leave yet, I'm not ready to let you go."

"You're not letting me go, Blaise, death is only the end in the minds of Muggles. I will find you when my time comes."

"Do you promise? I'll wait for you."

"Of course I promise."

"Thank you."

Suddenly, he drew in his breath sharply and I knew that we were out of time. He looked so frightened, his eyes wide and a bit glassy. I knelt beside the bed and took his hands in mine.

"Shh, Blaise, I'm here." I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes but I forced them ruthlessly back.

"Don't let me go, Draco, don't let me go, or I'll drown," he sounded so desperate, his voice scarcely more than a breathy whisper.

"I won't."

"Promise me… promise me that you won't forget."

"Never."

"I love you, Draco…"

"I love you, too, forever." I had the tears under control now; I wouldn't allow myself to cry. Not then, not ever. I refused to allow Blaise's last moments with me be filled with tears and I equally refused to allow others to see any signs of weakness in me.

"I'm glad to know we're still even." He managed a slight smile, then he drew in a long, pained breath and let it out slowly. He didn't draw another.

I sat still for a moment, just one moment and looked at his body. I found that it wasn't too painful, Blaise's body was just a shell, just the form he had worn in this life, this place, his spirit had already flown.

I stood up, I would get someone to tend to the body, I would not do it myself.

It was the end of an era of my life. I would not forgive, nor would I forget.

It was time for me to find Albus Dumbledore.

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