FTtSoL 10
Title: Faster Than the Speed of Love
Author: Feygan
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character: Charlus Potter/Draco Malfoy
Genre: slash, time travel
All of his life he had thought that he was happy, but it was only now that Charlus knew what happy truly was. Because every day that he could feel the warm rush of Draco's presence in the corner of his mind was a good one.
There was no loneliness with a soulbond, he found. He had Draco as a constant sense of warmth, and as a result he went through his days with a besotted smile and a lightness to his step.
He might have been embarrassed about his foolish sense of happiness, but he couldn't find it in himself to care what anyone else thought. He'd found the other half of himself, and though he pitied all those lonely souls out there, he had Draco and that made him feel lighter and more whole.
Everyone already knew that he'd found his soulbond. There had been a tasteful article in the Daily Prophet and people were already angling for invites to his Bonding Ball. He'd put them all off so far, as he didn't want to arrange something that would make Draco uncomfortable.
It upset Charlus to feel the echo of Draco's fear whenever there were too many people around. Even with all of Charlus' reassurances, Draco still worried that the Dark Lord would come for him.
Charlus had never had much concern about Grindelwald and his followers. They were far away and their reach didn't quite extend to the shores of Britain. Except now he had Draco in his life, and the knowledge that someone he knew and loved had been so devastatingly hurt ... It filled Charlus with a sense of outrage.
For the first time in his life, Charlus knew what his father meant when he spoke of protecting the interests of people he loved. Because he wanted to protect Draco and defend him. He wanted to take all of the pain out of Draco's eyes until only happiness was left. And if he could have brought Draco's mother back to him alive and well, he would have done that too.
It pained him that there were some things he simply could not do for Draco. There were some shadows that simply could not be lifted.
Draco had been tortured and nearly killed. It was only luck and his perseverance to survive that had kept him alive and allowed him to escape.
If things had gone just a little differently, Charlus never would have had the chance to meet Draco. He would have gone through the rest of his life never knowing what he was missing, and somehow the idea of it made something in his chest ache.
It was a sharp pain digging through him. The idea that he might never have met Draco would have meant going through his entire life with an empty space resounding through him. A space that never would have been filled, and Charlus wouldn't have even known what he was missing, who he was desperately wishing to see. He would have lived and died and never known how empty everything was.
Resolve growing in his chest, Charlus didn't hesitate to step up when his name was called. Hundreds of eyes all focused on him, curious about what issue he was so desperate to bring before the Wizengamot that he was willing to proxy the Potter seat, something he had always shied away from before. He'd never had a political bone in his body and he'd fought to keep his freedom as a carefree scion of a wealthy family.
But Draco was important, and just having him around had built up a desire for justice in Charlus' chest. He needed to make sure that Draco would be kept safe from any harm. He needed to stop Grindelwald and his followers from coming around and taking Draco back to the torments they wanted to inflict.
"There has been a great injustice," Charlus started, gripping the sides of the podium with both hands to stop their nervous tremble. He'd never been fond of public speaking, but this was something that needed to be done. "Our world has allowed an evil force to flourish in the shadows, and we've only made excuses for the wrongs being done. Wizards and witches have been tortured and killed, and we are all guilty of standing by and letting it happen. We are all guilty, but I refuse to be guilty any longer. I refuse to watch as our world falls apart around us."
Draco hadn't spoken a lot about what the Dark Lord had done to him, but he hadn't needed to. Charlus could *feel* the shattered wounds inside Draco, the raw places that still seeped with pain and fear, and though Draco hadn't outright said the words, Charlus knew that he was afraid of being captured again, of being hurt more.
So Charlus would do what he could to protect Draco, and part of that involved changing the world. Because if Charlus stood up in front of the Wizengamot and spoke the right words, he might be able to put an end to Grindelwald's reign of terror. And if there was no Dark Lord, there would be no one to hurt Draco ever again.
*I will protect you,* Charlus vowed. His eyes went steely with resolve and his voice rose and fell in the practiced cadences he'd learned from his father. He was young and handsome and there wasn't a single wizard or witch in the room that hadn't given him an admiring glance at some point in his life.
He was Charlus Potter and he loved Draco Malfoy enough to stand up and proclaim it in the best way possible. By destroying Draco's enemies and keeping him safe.
He didn't even mind that his careless days were over and he would never again be able to step out of the public eye. He was no longer a boy, but a man.
Author: Feygan
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character: Charlus Potter/Draco Malfoy
Genre: slash, time travel
All of his life he had thought that he was happy, but it was only now that Charlus knew what happy truly was. Because every day that he could feel the warm rush of Draco's presence in the corner of his mind was a good one.
There was no loneliness with a soulbond, he found. He had Draco as a constant sense of warmth, and as a result he went through his days with a besotted smile and a lightness to his step.
He might have been embarrassed about his foolish sense of happiness, but he couldn't find it in himself to care what anyone else thought. He'd found the other half of himself, and though he pitied all those lonely souls out there, he had Draco and that made him feel lighter and more whole.
Everyone already knew that he'd found his soulbond. There had been a tasteful article in the Daily Prophet and people were already angling for invites to his Bonding Ball. He'd put them all off so far, as he didn't want to arrange something that would make Draco uncomfortable.
It upset Charlus to feel the echo of Draco's fear whenever there were too many people around. Even with all of Charlus' reassurances, Draco still worried that the Dark Lord would come for him.
Charlus had never had much concern about Grindelwald and his followers. They were far away and their reach didn't quite extend to the shores of Britain. Except now he had Draco in his life, and the knowledge that someone he knew and loved had been so devastatingly hurt ... It filled Charlus with a sense of outrage.
For the first time in his life, Charlus knew what his father meant when he spoke of protecting the interests of people he loved. Because he wanted to protect Draco and defend him. He wanted to take all of the pain out of Draco's eyes until only happiness was left. And if he could have brought Draco's mother back to him alive and well, he would have done that too.
It pained him that there were some things he simply could not do for Draco. There were some shadows that simply could not be lifted.
Draco had been tortured and nearly killed. It was only luck and his perseverance to survive that had kept him alive and allowed him to escape.
If things had gone just a little differently, Charlus never would have had the chance to meet Draco. He would have gone through the rest of his life never knowing what he was missing, and somehow the idea of it made something in his chest ache.
It was a sharp pain digging through him. The idea that he might never have met Draco would have meant going through his entire life with an empty space resounding through him. A space that never would have been filled, and Charlus wouldn't have even known what he was missing, who he was desperately wishing to see. He would have lived and died and never known how empty everything was.
Resolve growing in his chest, Charlus didn't hesitate to step up when his name was called. Hundreds of eyes all focused on him, curious about what issue he was so desperate to bring before the Wizengamot that he was willing to proxy the Potter seat, something he had always shied away from before. He'd never had a political bone in his body and he'd fought to keep his freedom as a carefree scion of a wealthy family.
But Draco was important, and just having him around had built up a desire for justice in Charlus' chest. He needed to make sure that Draco would be kept safe from any harm. He needed to stop Grindelwald and his followers from coming around and taking Draco back to the torments they wanted to inflict.
"There has been a great injustice," Charlus started, gripping the sides of the podium with both hands to stop their nervous tremble. He'd never been fond of public speaking, but this was something that needed to be done. "Our world has allowed an evil force to flourish in the shadows, and we've only made excuses for the wrongs being done. Wizards and witches have been tortured and killed, and we are all guilty of standing by and letting it happen. We are all guilty, but I refuse to be guilty any longer. I refuse to watch as our world falls apart around us."
Draco hadn't spoken a lot about what the Dark Lord had done to him, but he hadn't needed to. Charlus could *feel* the shattered wounds inside Draco, the raw places that still seeped with pain and fear, and though Draco hadn't outright said the words, Charlus knew that he was afraid of being captured again, of being hurt more.
So Charlus would do what he could to protect Draco, and part of that involved changing the world. Because if Charlus stood up in front of the Wizengamot and spoke the right words, he might be able to put an end to Grindelwald's reign of terror. And if there was no Dark Lord, there would be no one to hurt Draco ever again.
*I will protect you,* Charlus vowed. His eyes went steely with resolve and his voice rose and fell in the practiced cadences he'd learned from his father. He was young and handsome and there wasn't a single wizard or witch in the room that hadn't given him an admiring glance at some point in his life.
He was Charlus Potter and he loved Draco Malfoy enough to stand up and proclaim it in the best way possible. By destroying Draco's enemies and keeping him safe.
He didn't even mind that his careless days were over and he would never again be able to step out of the public eye. He was no longer a boy, but a man.