FTtSoL 13
Title: Faster Than the Speed of Love
Author: Feygan
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character: Draco/Charlus
Genre: slash, time travel, soulmate
There seemed to be a question hovering around Charlus. For long weeks it seemed as though he desperately wanted to ask something. But he never voiced the question and Draco never had to answer and their lives moved on.
Draco realized that he had done a terrible thing. It would have been a kindness to have just killed Tom Riddle, rather than to have Ensnared him in such a manner. Riddle would sink into the madness of his Longing and eventually he would fade away like a bug drawn too close to the light. And for every moment he was without Draco, Tom Riddle would suffer unspeakably until he would be begging for death.
It was cruel, and Draco felt satisfied that he had done it. For all that he would do, Lord Voldemort should suffer. And in the end, lives would be spared.
"Are the muggles losing their war?" he questioned one morning at the breakfast table.
Charlus was reading the newspaper, a plate of buttered toast forgotten before him. "It seems so."
"I heard that the Dark Lord is helping the Germans. I don't think it's right that he's able to do that unopposed. Isn't there anyone that can stand up against him?"
Charlus lowered his newspaper enough to look at Draco. "You're very interested in this. I would have thought you would have just seen it as a muggle war."
Draco shrugged and lifted his fork. "It was fine when it was simply a muggle war, but when wizards are involved... It's not just a muggle war then, is it? It just doesn't seem fair the way the muggles can't stand against weapons charmed by wizards." He took a bite of sausage and chewed with his mouth closed, his eyes locked on Charlus.
The thoughts were visibly moving behind Charlus' expression as he worked his way through his mental processes. Then he grunted and gave a little nod. "You are absolutely correct. The muggles deserve a level playing field against those, what are they, Nazis. I'll discuss things with some people."
Draco smiled and went back to eating his breakfast. Charlus was good about making things right again. He wouldn't know what he was doing, but he would correct the mistake Draco had made with the timeline and get Britain's wizards back into the fight against Grindelwald.
Because Charlus was a good man and he would always try his best to make the world a better place.
* * *
Life was too good for him to ask questions he really didn't want to hear the answers to. He refused to open his mouth and ruin everything, not when Draco had looked so peaky.
Charlus refused to do anything to remove Draco's smile.
So he had run a few careful queries about Tom Riddle. Nothing to catch anyone's attention, but there were just some things he needed to know to satisfy his own curiosity. He promised himself he would stop if there was any chance that Draco would be found out.
Not that Draco had done anything bad. There was no way he could have done anything to see him sent to Azkaban.
Charlus winced away from the thought of Draco being tormented by dementors. It was never going to happen. *He* wouldn't let it happen.
It scared him sometimes. He would be going along perfectly fine with his life, so happy that his heart felt about to burst, then it would be like the whole world flipped sideways. It was as though he were looking at his life from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help realizing just how fragile it all was. How easily it could be taken away.
He would become terrified of losing Draco. Something would happen, and everything that made him happy in the world would be ripped away. He would be left wailing and writhing in the dirt with nothing to hold him up and no one who could help him.
He was wrapped tight in Draco. There was no doubt about that.
Soulmates. Two halves of one whole, or perhaps a Yin and a Yang; and if that were true, then Draco held all his strength, because he felt weak to the idea of being alone. Just the thought made him want to crumble into pieces.
He loved Draco and could not lose him. So Charlus would do anything he had to, to keep Draco in his life. He would rob and kill and change the laws of the world around just to keep Draco safe and with him. Because he was too weak to be alone and refused to even consider it.
Charlus quietly made his inquiries about Tom Riddle's condition, and to distract anyone from noticing what he was doing, he made a patriotic speech here and there. He stirred up ideals of wizarding pride and handling their own kind. And somehow the mood of the people shifted, and Britain's wizards went to war against the Dark Lord because it was the right thing to do. Justice for all.
And the world changed, but all he cared about was what he was going to do to protect Draco. Because Tom Riddle had been veela struck, and it wouldn't take long for someone to put things together.
/CHAPTER
Author: Feygan
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character: Draco/Charlus
Genre: slash, time travel, soulmate
There seemed to be a question hovering around Charlus. For long weeks it seemed as though he desperately wanted to ask something. But he never voiced the question and Draco never had to answer and their lives moved on.
Draco realized that he had done a terrible thing. It would have been a kindness to have just killed Tom Riddle, rather than to have Ensnared him in such a manner. Riddle would sink into the madness of his Longing and eventually he would fade away like a bug drawn too close to the light. And for every moment he was without Draco, Tom Riddle would suffer unspeakably until he would be begging for death.
It was cruel, and Draco felt satisfied that he had done it. For all that he would do, Lord Voldemort should suffer. And in the end, lives would be spared.
"Are the muggles losing their war?" he questioned one morning at the breakfast table.
Charlus was reading the newspaper, a plate of buttered toast forgotten before him. "It seems so."
"I heard that the Dark Lord is helping the Germans. I don't think it's right that he's able to do that unopposed. Isn't there anyone that can stand up against him?"
Charlus lowered his newspaper enough to look at Draco. "You're very interested in this. I would have thought you would have just seen it as a muggle war."
Draco shrugged and lifted his fork. "It was fine when it was simply a muggle war, but when wizards are involved... It's not just a muggle war then, is it? It just doesn't seem fair the way the muggles can't stand against weapons charmed by wizards." He took a bite of sausage and chewed with his mouth closed, his eyes locked on Charlus.
The thoughts were visibly moving behind Charlus' expression as he worked his way through his mental processes. Then he grunted and gave a little nod. "You are absolutely correct. The muggles deserve a level playing field against those, what are they, Nazis. I'll discuss things with some people."
Draco smiled and went back to eating his breakfast. Charlus was good about making things right again. He wouldn't know what he was doing, but he would correct the mistake Draco had made with the timeline and get Britain's wizards back into the fight against Grindelwald.
Because Charlus was a good man and he would always try his best to make the world a better place.
* * *
Life was too good for him to ask questions he really didn't want to hear the answers to. He refused to open his mouth and ruin everything, not when Draco had looked so peaky.
Charlus refused to do anything to remove Draco's smile.
So he had run a few careful queries about Tom Riddle. Nothing to catch anyone's attention, but there were just some things he needed to know to satisfy his own curiosity. He promised himself he would stop if there was any chance that Draco would be found out.
Not that Draco had done anything bad. There was no way he could have done anything to see him sent to Azkaban.
Charlus winced away from the thought of Draco being tormented by dementors. It was never going to happen. *He* wouldn't let it happen.
It scared him sometimes. He would be going along perfectly fine with his life, so happy that his heart felt about to burst, then it would be like the whole world flipped sideways. It was as though he were looking at his life from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help realizing just how fragile it all was. How easily it could be taken away.
He would become terrified of losing Draco. Something would happen, and everything that made him happy in the world would be ripped away. He would be left wailing and writhing in the dirt with nothing to hold him up and no one who could help him.
He was wrapped tight in Draco. There was no doubt about that.
Soulmates. Two halves of one whole, or perhaps a Yin and a Yang; and if that were true, then Draco held all his strength, because he felt weak to the idea of being alone. Just the thought made him want to crumble into pieces.
He loved Draco and could not lose him. So Charlus would do anything he had to, to keep Draco in his life. He would rob and kill and change the laws of the world around just to keep Draco safe and with him. Because he was too weak to be alone and refused to even consider it.
Charlus quietly made his inquiries about Tom Riddle's condition, and to distract anyone from noticing what he was doing, he made a patriotic speech here and there. He stirred up ideals of wizarding pride and handling their own kind. And somehow the mood of the people shifted, and Britain's wizards went to war against the Dark Lord because it was the right thing to do. Justice for all.
And the world changed, but all he cared about was what he was going to do to protect Draco. Because Tom Riddle had been veela struck, and it wouldn't take long for someone to put things together.
/CHAPTER