Fic: Tradition
Title: Tradition
Author: alexa_black
Beta: rons_pigwidgeon
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Draco, mainly
Word Count: ~950
Disclaimer: I don’t own Draco or Harry, but one can dream. No money is being made, or ever will be made, off of this story.
Warnings: none?
Summary:
“Life is eternal, and love is immortal,
and death is only a horizon;
and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.”
-- Rossiter Worthington Raymond
Author's Notes: This is dedicated to Mr. G. I wish I could’ve met you.
The night was cool. A breeze blew through the leaves and the flutter of bat wings could be heard just overhead. Dirt from the road swirled gently in the background. A pale glow from the crescent moon filtered down to form patchy spots of light on the grass.
He stood just outside the wrought-iron gate. The tall, dark trees along the perimeter made it feel secluded and safe. He took a deep breath and the last traces of a wood fire washed over him. His shoulders relaxed and a small smile drifted across his face.
The gate creaked warmly as he pushed it open. His shoes made faint depressions in the dewy grass as he searched for what he was looking for. Under a blooming dogwood tree, two grey marble gravestones sat with quiet dignity. He stopped for a moment to smooth down his shirt and straighten his tie. He took another deep breath before taking the final few steps.
“My name is Draco Malfoy.”
He paused. Another breeze whistled through the branches. He placed the flowers he had been holding on the grass in between the two stones. “I brought these for you.”
Another pause. He fidgeted with his cuffs, pulling them down a bit. He then tucked a strand of blonde hair behind his ear. “God, I can’t believe I’m nervous,” Draco said to himself.
His gaze returned to the two stones in front of him. “Okay, let’s start over,” he said, kneeling down.
“Hi. I’m Draco Malfoy. You’ve never met me but you have undoubtedly heard of my parents. I know the things said about them would…not have painted them in the best light. But I want you to understand that I’m not like them. Well, that wasn’t entirely true during my years at Hogwarts but it is now. I’ve grown up.
“So has Harry. That’s why I’m here, actually. Harry has grown up.” He took a breath, letting his statement sink in. He looked at the sky and found the constellation Orion and, after a brief search, the star Sirius. The sight made him smile.
“I wish you could see him now. He has grown up into quite the young man. He defeated Voldemort; he survived the war. But I’m sure you’ve heard all of that from Harry himself.
“What you probably haven’t heard is that he’s sensitive, impulsive, a closet romantic, stubborn and amazing. He has trouble finding his socks. He cares far too much about everyone and everything. I don’t know if he has told you…and I know it isn’t really my place to tell you either…but, he’s also gay. We’re together.”
Draco laughed as he thought about it. “It’s been an adventure, that’s for sure. We got together after the war. We’ve had our rough spots but we…fit. I don’t know how else to describe it. I love him.”
He took a deep breath, trying to fortify himself for what he was about to say.
“I know this is ridiculous because it’s not like you really can give me an answer but…I was raised to respect tradition and this is one I still honor. You know I came here to introduce myself. But I also came to ask for your permission…to…to marry your son.”
He ducked his head, having finally lost control of his emotions. A breeze floated over him like a gentle caress and he thought he heard a ‘Yes’ sighed out, but that could have been the movement of the branches and bushes.
“Thank you,” he whispered, standing. He kissed his fingertips and touched each headstone. “I’ll be sure to come back and visit,” he said with a much stronger voice.
He turned to head back to the apartment he and Harry lived in and stopped short. Standing there, just inside the gate, was Harry himself.
“What’re you doing here?” Draco blurted out and then grimaced.
“You said you had to work late, so I figured I’d come visit my parents,” Harry said quietly, seeming to have trouble getting the words out.
Grey eyes met green and held. The air was absolutely still; Mother Nature was holding her breath, straining to hear what would be said next.
Draco finally broke the silence. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. I had everything all planned out and now it’s gone to shit and -”
“- Draco,” he said. Without releasing his gaze, Harry slowly walked toward him, stopping with only inches between them. He reached up with his right hand and brushed his thumb across a pale cheek.
“I just wanted it to be something special,” Draco said, looking down.
Harry stuck a finger under his chin and tenderly tilted it back up. “It is special.”
Draco’s breath caught and his eyes shone brightly. Harry smiled softly and pulled him in for a kiss. It was sweet and warm, full of love and promise. Draco let out a small sound, a cross between a whimper and a sob. He eased out of the kiss.
“I love you, Harry. Will you marry me?”
A single tear escaped Harry’s jewel-colored eyes. Draco smoothed it away with a smile.
“Yes.”
Draco drew him in for another, longer kiss. Harry broke it and rested his head on his fiancé’s shoulder. Draco wrapped his arms around him and held him close. Neither of them was in a hurry to go anywhere.
“You have no idea how much it means to me that you came here,” Harry said, the words muffled slightly against Draco’s neck. He squeezed his shoulders a little in response.
“Come on,” he said, “let’s go home.”
The two young men walked through the gate, closing it with a creak behind them. They walked down the dirt road, each with an arm wrapped around the other’s waist.
As they disappeared into the night, moonlight sparkled where it hit the two headstones and the flower petals waved gently in the breeze.
Author: alexa_black
Beta: rons_pigwidgeon
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Draco, mainly
Word Count: ~950
Disclaimer: I don’t own Draco or Harry, but one can dream. No money is being made, or ever will be made, off of this story.
Warnings: none?
Summary:
“Life is eternal, and love is immortal,
and death is only a horizon;
and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.”
-- Rossiter Worthington Raymond
Author's Notes: This is dedicated to Mr. G. I wish I could’ve met you.
The night was cool. A breeze blew through the leaves and the flutter of bat wings could be heard just overhead. Dirt from the road swirled gently in the background. A pale glow from the crescent moon filtered down to form patchy spots of light on the grass.
He stood just outside the wrought-iron gate. The tall, dark trees along the perimeter made it feel secluded and safe. He took a deep breath and the last traces of a wood fire washed over him. His shoulders relaxed and a small smile drifted across his face.
The gate creaked warmly as he pushed it open. His shoes made faint depressions in the dewy grass as he searched for what he was looking for. Under a blooming dogwood tree, two grey marble gravestones sat with quiet dignity. He stopped for a moment to smooth down his shirt and straighten his tie. He took another deep breath before taking the final few steps.
“My name is Draco Malfoy.”
He paused. Another breeze whistled through the branches. He placed the flowers he had been holding on the grass in between the two stones. “I brought these for you.”
Another pause. He fidgeted with his cuffs, pulling them down a bit. He then tucked a strand of blonde hair behind his ear. “God, I can’t believe I’m nervous,” Draco said to himself.
His gaze returned to the two stones in front of him. “Okay, let’s start over,” he said, kneeling down.
“Hi. I’m Draco Malfoy. You’ve never met me but you have undoubtedly heard of my parents. I know the things said about them would…not have painted them in the best light. But I want you to understand that I’m not like them. Well, that wasn’t entirely true during my years at Hogwarts but it is now. I’ve grown up.
“So has Harry. That’s why I’m here, actually. Harry has grown up.” He took a breath, letting his statement sink in. He looked at the sky and found the constellation Orion and, after a brief search, the star Sirius. The sight made him smile.
“I wish you could see him now. He has grown up into quite the young man. He defeated Voldemort; he survived the war. But I’m sure you’ve heard all of that from Harry himself.
“What you probably haven’t heard is that he’s sensitive, impulsive, a closet romantic, stubborn and amazing. He has trouble finding his socks. He cares far too much about everyone and everything. I don’t know if he has told you…and I know it isn’t really my place to tell you either…but, he’s also gay. We’re together.”
Draco laughed as he thought about it. “It’s been an adventure, that’s for sure. We got together after the war. We’ve had our rough spots but we…fit. I don’t know how else to describe it. I love him.”
He took a deep breath, trying to fortify himself for what he was about to say.
“I know this is ridiculous because it’s not like you really can give me an answer but…I was raised to respect tradition and this is one I still honor. You know I came here to introduce myself. But I also came to ask for your permission…to…to marry your son.”
He ducked his head, having finally lost control of his emotions. A breeze floated over him like a gentle caress and he thought he heard a ‘Yes’ sighed out, but that could have been the movement of the branches and bushes.
“Thank you,” he whispered, standing. He kissed his fingertips and touched each headstone. “I’ll be sure to come back and visit,” he said with a much stronger voice.
He turned to head back to the apartment he and Harry lived in and stopped short. Standing there, just inside the gate, was Harry himself.
“What’re you doing here?” Draco blurted out and then grimaced.
“You said you had to work late, so I figured I’d come visit my parents,” Harry said quietly, seeming to have trouble getting the words out.
Grey eyes met green and held. The air was absolutely still; Mother Nature was holding her breath, straining to hear what would be said next.
Draco finally broke the silence. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. I had everything all planned out and now it’s gone to shit and -”
“- Draco,” he said. Without releasing his gaze, Harry slowly walked toward him, stopping with only inches between them. He reached up with his right hand and brushed his thumb across a pale cheek.
“I just wanted it to be something special,” Draco said, looking down.
Harry stuck a finger under his chin and tenderly tilted it back up. “It is special.”
Draco’s breath caught and his eyes shone brightly. Harry smiled softly and pulled him in for a kiss. It was sweet and warm, full of love and promise. Draco let out a small sound, a cross between a whimper and a sob. He eased out of the kiss.
“I love you, Harry. Will you marry me?”
A single tear escaped Harry’s jewel-colored eyes. Draco smoothed it away with a smile.
“Yes.”
Draco drew him in for another, longer kiss. Harry broke it and rested his head on his fiancé’s shoulder. Draco wrapped his arms around him and held him close. Neither of them was in a hurry to go anywhere.
“You have no idea how much it means to me that you came here,” Harry said, the words muffled slightly against Draco’s neck. He squeezed his shoulders a little in response.
“Come on,” he said, “let’s go home.”
The two young men walked through the gate, closing it with a creak behind them. They walked down the dirt road, each with an arm wrapped around the other’s waist.
As they disappeared into the night, moonlight sparkled where it hit the two headstones and the flower petals waved gently in the breeze.