Artistic Licence (G; Dean/Draco, Pansy, OMC; 425 words)
I recently polled for prompts, requesting that people provide me with a character or characters (and a genre), and select an ingredient, an item, and a pub.
jennfic prompted me with Draco Malfoy, Dean Thomas, and Pansy Parkinson (wildcard genre): cockatrice feathers, Serpent's Anklet, and the Harlot and Hobgoblin.
Artistic Licence (G; Dean/Draco, Pansy, OMC; 425 words): Dean takes a little artistic licence with regard to the Slytherins in his life.
There's an old picture of Draco and Pansy playing as children in Draco's sitting room. Dean loves it. Pansy's wearing cockatrice feathers in her hair, which was much longer as a child than it is now, and a metallic serpent is sliding up Draco's arm. They are both proudly adrift in adults' fancy dress and beaming at one another. The picture is the only time that Dean has ever seen Pansy look as happy, or Draco, as unguarded.
Knowing as he does that Draco misses Pansy, who hasn't quite forgiven him for taking up with a wizard, Dean does what he can to bring them back together by painting an animated scene in which the Serpent's Anklet-for that's what he's learned the object was with which Draco was playing in the picture-comes to life before their eyes and takes flight. It's a complicated process, animating a moment that never happened, but Dean hopes that seeing it will remind Pansy of the fond memories she does share with Draco.
"Why are we here?" Draco asks Dean, as they arrive just outside the Harlot and Hobgoblin. "This is Pansy's local."
"I know. I invited her here to meet us."
Draco frowns. "I don't want to see Pansy, and she certainly doesn't want to see me."
Dean just pushes Draco forward. Once inside, Frank, the publican, waves them over.
"Miss Parkinson's in the back room. My missus provided some refreshment."
"Thank you, Frank," Dean says. "Is the surprise . . . ?"
"Already on the easel with a cover charmed not to move unless you remove it."
Dean's tipped Frank well in preparation of this evening; he's not surprised, but as he enters the back room, he finds Pansy staring at the portrait. Draco gasps when he sees it.
"Oh, Draco," says Pansy, without turning. "It's so beautiful."
Dean feels the light, grateful press of Draco's lips on his cheek before Draco moves to place an arm around Pansy, and as she turns and embraces Draco, Dean backs out of the room.
As he closes the door, he hears Pansy telling Draco, "It's just what we wished would happen that day, remember?"
"Charmed not to move unless I remove it?" he asks Frank, upon his return to the tap.
Frank blushes. "That'd be me meddlin' missus. I think she knew what you were up to, Mr Dean."
"Well, thank her for me, will you? Her instincts were perfectly right."
Frank smiles. Dean smiles back. And alone together, he hopes that Draco and Pansy are finding their friendship again.
jennfic prompted me with Draco Malfoy, Dean Thomas, and Pansy Parkinson (wildcard genre): cockatrice feathers, Serpent's Anklet, and the Harlot and Hobgoblin.
Artistic Licence (G; Dean/Draco, Pansy, OMC; 425 words): Dean takes a little artistic licence with regard to the Slytherins in his life.
There's an old picture of Draco and Pansy playing as children in Draco's sitting room. Dean loves it. Pansy's wearing cockatrice feathers in her hair, which was much longer as a child than it is now, and a metallic serpent is sliding up Draco's arm. They are both proudly adrift in adults' fancy dress and beaming at one another. The picture is the only time that Dean has ever seen Pansy look as happy, or Draco, as unguarded.
Knowing as he does that Draco misses Pansy, who hasn't quite forgiven him for taking up with a wizard, Dean does what he can to bring them back together by painting an animated scene in which the Serpent's Anklet-for that's what he's learned the object was with which Draco was playing in the picture-comes to life before their eyes and takes flight. It's a complicated process, animating a moment that never happened, but Dean hopes that seeing it will remind Pansy of the fond memories she does share with Draco.
"Why are we here?" Draco asks Dean, as they arrive just outside the Harlot and Hobgoblin. "This is Pansy's local."
"I know. I invited her here to meet us."
Draco frowns. "I don't want to see Pansy, and she certainly doesn't want to see me."
Dean just pushes Draco forward. Once inside, Frank, the publican, waves them over.
"Miss Parkinson's in the back room. My missus provided some refreshment."
"Thank you, Frank," Dean says. "Is the surprise . . . ?"
"Already on the easel with a cover charmed not to move unless you remove it."
Dean's tipped Frank well in preparation of this evening; he's not surprised, but as he enters the back room, he finds Pansy staring at the portrait. Draco gasps when he sees it.
"Oh, Draco," says Pansy, without turning. "It's so beautiful."
Dean feels the light, grateful press of Draco's lips on his cheek before Draco moves to place an arm around Pansy, and as she turns and embraces Draco, Dean backs out of the room.
As he closes the door, he hears Pansy telling Draco, "It's just what we wished would happen that day, remember?"
"Charmed not to move unless I remove it?" he asks Frank, upon his return to the tap.
Frank blushes. "That'd be me meddlin' missus. I think she knew what you were up to, Mr Dean."
"Well, thank her for me, will you? Her instincts were perfectly right."
Frank smiles. Dean smiles back. And alone together, he hopes that Draco and Pansy are finding their friendship again.