Spoilsport (H/D) for the HP UK meetup
Oops! Forgot to post this little ficlet I wrote for the HP UK meetup earlier this month. My fluffy little story went to joan_waterhouse. I'm pleased that she enjoyed it, but jealous that I couldn't go. *pouts* Ah, well. Perhaps next year?
Anyway, below is my ficlet, and in case you didn't catch the comment, it's a little pretty um ... very fluffy.
Title: Spoilsport
Author: sesheta_66
Beta: alaana_fair
Brit-pick: cassie_black12
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 1270
Summary: Excuses work on Harry, but Draco? Not so much.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Challenge: awdt's prompt: Why aren't they coming here?
Spoilsport
"Oh, do tell. Why is it they're not coming this time?"
"Come on, Draco," Harry reasoned. "They're in America. You know that."
"And?"
"And it's rather a long trip, don't you think?"
"If you're a Muggle, yes. All that business of flying on those metal death traps." Draco shuddered. "And the queues! Let's not forget the queues."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Once, Draco. We only did that one time."
"One too many, if you ask me."
"Yes, well … you've made that perfectly clear. Repeatedly."
Draco leaned in and kissed Harry on the neck, then nibbled on his earlobe. "I did, however, appreciate your diversionary tactics."
Harry grinned. He too had enjoyed their initiation into the Mile High Club. He pressed his lips softly against Draco's, then waggled his eyebrows. "Oh, really?"
"Don't get any ideas, Scarhead." Draco put the palm of his hand against Harry's chest and pushed him away. "It's not happening again."
"It was rather cramped," Harry conceded. "But I have improved my spell work --"
"No way, Potter. No matter how large you can make that toilet now, I'm not climbing aboard another Muggle death trap."
Harry chuckled. "Fair enough."
"So … you still haven't convinced me. Surely they can get a Portkey back home. It's not the busy season, and he is a war hero. You can't convince me he doesn't have connections."
"I suppose not." Harry tried to hide his disappointment. It would be nice to see Neville again.
"She's the reason, you know."
"Don't, Draco." Harry didn't want to have this conversation again. "You don't know that for sure."
"Like hell I don't! She's still not over you --"
"It's been five years," Harry reasoned. "I'm sure she's long since over me."
"I'm not so sure," Draco argued. "But even if you're right, she's never going to get past you being with me."
Harry opened his mouth to dispute that fact, but found he couldn't. He supposed Draco was right. Ginny had never been able to separate Draco from Lucius in her mind, and to her, Draco would always be the cause of her suffering and near death in the Chamber of Secrets.
"And now she's preventing you from seeing one of your oldest and dearest friends. It's not right."
Harry shrugged. "Neville can make up his own mind. Like you said, he's a war hero. He could stand up to Ginny if he really wanted to be here."
Draco scowled. "I hate that I'm the cause of this."
Sometimes, in those moments, Draco's hard shell crumbled, and he looked so vulnerable. Harry felt at once humbled by Draco's trust in him - enough to let down his guard like this - and responsible for the pain in Draco's eyes.
"But you're not to blame. Just like Neville, I am capable of making my own choices."
"And you chose to be with me."
Harry nodded and took Draco in his arms. "And I don't regret it." He gave Draco one of his toe-curling kisses, the ones that never failed to get his own heart racing. "Not for a minute."
*~*~*
THREE WEEKS LATER …
"Hey, mate," Ron greeted Harry as they entered the pub. "Draco."
Ron had surprised Harry. Not that he should have been surprised, when he thought about it. After all, Ron had always been there for him - minus a few adolescent bumps along the way.
He had been one of the first to accept Harry and Draco's relationship - before even Hermione - to everyone's shock. He hadn't said much when Harry told him, merely shrugged and grumbled, "Should have seen it coming, I reckon."
Ron had even tried talking to Ginny, though it had been like talking to one of Hagrid's pets: tread carefully and get ready to run.
Harry couldn't deny that the estrangement from Neville hurt. They'd always been close, but when Neville and Ginny started dating - a surprise to no one - he'd started pulling back from his friendship with Harry.
Draco had a point. Neville had made countless excuses for missing one function after another. But this - Harry and Draco's engagement party - this was far too big a deal to overlook. Neville knew what it had taken them to get there, and for him to miss out, to not support Harry, was a dark shadow on an otherwise bright occasion.
The fact that it meant so much to Draco too made it worse. Neither of them cared if Ginny showed up - Draco no doubt preferred that she didn't - but, well …
As they entered the back room reserved for their private party, Draco led the way, giving Harry's hand a squeeze. He turned round and smiled warmly. Harry smiled back, reassured that things would be all right. Better than all right. He was marrying Draco Malfoy. Harry was the luckiest man in the world.
Putting everything else out of his mind, Harry leaned in for a kiss.
"Oi!" Ron's voice broke them apart. "You've only just got here. Surely you can keep your hands - and lips - off each other for a few hours!"
Laughing, they joined the crowd. Harry surveyed the room, taking in the familiar faces, marvelling as he had countless times over the last few years that their friends had become … well, friends. It never ceased to amaze Harry to see Pansy chatting animatedly with Hermione, and Blaise drinking Guinness alongside Seamus.
Deep in conversation with George about the latest Quidditch match, Harry was startled when Draco said, "Harry, someone's here to wish us well."
Harry looked up to see Neville, shy grin on his face and gift in hand.
"Hey, Harry."
"Neville? But … I thought you couldn't …"
"Yeah, well …" Neville motioned to Draco. "Someone pointed out just what an arse I've been."
Harry looked at Draco, and caught him glaring and shaking his head at Neville.
"Draco?"
"Don't be upset with him," Neville hastened to add. "He was right. It's been too long, and … well, I have been an arse."
"Don't you Gryffindors ever shut up?" Draco asked, exasperated. "Not that I don't agree with that last bit."
"Yeah, well … I'm sorry, Harry." Neville looked chastened. "I should never have let Gin--"
"Merlin, Longbottom. Enough already!"
"Er … right," Neville said. He handed his gift to Draco, then scooped three glasses of champagne from a nearby table. "I'll shut up, but only after I make a toast. Congratulations to the both of you. May you live happily ever after!"
Harry caught Draco rolling his eyes.
Neville coughed. "How about I try that again?" He raised his glass. "May you live a long and prosperous life together … and may you not come to blows --"
Neville turned purple at Draco's horrified expression - no doubt he was imagining a life without blows - and Harry could feel tears of mirth building in his eyes.
"Er …" Neville looked mortified, and at a complete loss for words.
Ron rescued him. Raising a glass to the room, he addressed Harry and Draco. "May you have great times together, may you keep all the details to yourselves, and may you not kill each other along the way."
"Here, here," Seamus chimed in.
"Amen to that," added Blaise.
Pansy cleared her throat, looked at Hermione and winked. "You can share whatever details you like with us!"
To Ron's horror, Hermione raised her glass. "Here, here!"
Harry gaped at the women in shock. Draco wrapped his arm around Harry and glared at Pansy. "Not bloody likely."
Pansy and Hermione sighed. "Spoilsport."
Anyway, below is my ficlet, and in case you didn't catch the comment, it's a little pretty um ... very fluffy.
Title: Spoilsport
Author: sesheta_66
Beta: alaana_fair
Brit-pick: cassie_black12
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 1270
Summary: Excuses work on Harry, but Draco? Not so much.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Challenge: awdt's prompt: Why aren't they coming here?
Spoilsport
"Oh, do tell. Why is it they're not coming this time?"
"Come on, Draco," Harry reasoned. "They're in America. You know that."
"And?"
"And it's rather a long trip, don't you think?"
"If you're a Muggle, yes. All that business of flying on those metal death traps." Draco shuddered. "And the queues! Let's not forget the queues."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Once, Draco. We only did that one time."
"One too many, if you ask me."
"Yes, well … you've made that perfectly clear. Repeatedly."
Draco leaned in and kissed Harry on the neck, then nibbled on his earlobe. "I did, however, appreciate your diversionary tactics."
Harry grinned. He too had enjoyed their initiation into the Mile High Club. He pressed his lips softly against Draco's, then waggled his eyebrows. "Oh, really?"
"Don't get any ideas, Scarhead." Draco put the palm of his hand against Harry's chest and pushed him away. "It's not happening again."
"It was rather cramped," Harry conceded. "But I have improved my spell work --"
"No way, Potter. No matter how large you can make that toilet now, I'm not climbing aboard another Muggle death trap."
Harry chuckled. "Fair enough."
"So … you still haven't convinced me. Surely they can get a Portkey back home. It's not the busy season, and he is a war hero. You can't convince me he doesn't have connections."
"I suppose not." Harry tried to hide his disappointment. It would be nice to see Neville again.
"She's the reason, you know."
"Don't, Draco." Harry didn't want to have this conversation again. "You don't know that for sure."
"Like hell I don't! She's still not over you --"
"It's been five years," Harry reasoned. "I'm sure she's long since over me."
"I'm not so sure," Draco argued. "But even if you're right, she's never going to get past you being with me."
Harry opened his mouth to dispute that fact, but found he couldn't. He supposed Draco was right. Ginny had never been able to separate Draco from Lucius in her mind, and to her, Draco would always be the cause of her suffering and near death in the Chamber of Secrets.
"And now she's preventing you from seeing one of your oldest and dearest friends. It's not right."
Harry shrugged. "Neville can make up his own mind. Like you said, he's a war hero. He could stand up to Ginny if he really wanted to be here."
Draco scowled. "I hate that I'm the cause of this."
Sometimes, in those moments, Draco's hard shell crumbled, and he looked so vulnerable. Harry felt at once humbled by Draco's trust in him - enough to let down his guard like this - and responsible for the pain in Draco's eyes.
"But you're not to blame. Just like Neville, I am capable of making my own choices."
"And you chose to be with me."
Harry nodded and took Draco in his arms. "And I don't regret it." He gave Draco one of his toe-curling kisses, the ones that never failed to get his own heart racing. "Not for a minute."
*~*~*
THREE WEEKS LATER …
"Hey, mate," Ron greeted Harry as they entered the pub. "Draco."
Ron had surprised Harry. Not that he should have been surprised, when he thought about it. After all, Ron had always been there for him - minus a few adolescent bumps along the way.
He had been one of the first to accept Harry and Draco's relationship - before even Hermione - to everyone's shock. He hadn't said much when Harry told him, merely shrugged and grumbled, "Should have seen it coming, I reckon."
Ron had even tried talking to Ginny, though it had been like talking to one of Hagrid's pets: tread carefully and get ready to run.
Harry couldn't deny that the estrangement from Neville hurt. They'd always been close, but when Neville and Ginny started dating - a surprise to no one - he'd started pulling back from his friendship with Harry.
Draco had a point. Neville had made countless excuses for missing one function after another. But this - Harry and Draco's engagement party - this was far too big a deal to overlook. Neville knew what it had taken them to get there, and for him to miss out, to not support Harry, was a dark shadow on an otherwise bright occasion.
The fact that it meant so much to Draco too made it worse. Neither of them cared if Ginny showed up - Draco no doubt preferred that she didn't - but, well …
As they entered the back room reserved for their private party, Draco led the way, giving Harry's hand a squeeze. He turned round and smiled warmly. Harry smiled back, reassured that things would be all right. Better than all right. He was marrying Draco Malfoy. Harry was the luckiest man in the world.
Putting everything else out of his mind, Harry leaned in for a kiss.
"Oi!" Ron's voice broke them apart. "You've only just got here. Surely you can keep your hands - and lips - off each other for a few hours!"
Laughing, they joined the crowd. Harry surveyed the room, taking in the familiar faces, marvelling as he had countless times over the last few years that their friends had become … well, friends. It never ceased to amaze Harry to see Pansy chatting animatedly with Hermione, and Blaise drinking Guinness alongside Seamus.
Deep in conversation with George about the latest Quidditch match, Harry was startled when Draco said, "Harry, someone's here to wish us well."
Harry looked up to see Neville, shy grin on his face and gift in hand.
"Hey, Harry."
"Neville? But … I thought you couldn't …"
"Yeah, well …" Neville motioned to Draco. "Someone pointed out just what an arse I've been."
Harry looked at Draco, and caught him glaring and shaking his head at Neville.
"Draco?"
"Don't be upset with him," Neville hastened to add. "He was right. It's been too long, and … well, I have been an arse."
"Don't you Gryffindors ever shut up?" Draco asked, exasperated. "Not that I don't agree with that last bit."
"Yeah, well … I'm sorry, Harry." Neville looked chastened. "I should never have let Gin--"
"Merlin, Longbottom. Enough already!"
"Er … right," Neville said. He handed his gift to Draco, then scooped three glasses of champagne from a nearby table. "I'll shut up, but only after I make a toast. Congratulations to the both of you. May you live happily ever after!"
Harry caught Draco rolling his eyes.
Neville coughed. "How about I try that again?" He raised his glass. "May you live a long and prosperous life together … and may you not come to blows --"
Neville turned purple at Draco's horrified expression - no doubt he was imagining a life without blows - and Harry could feel tears of mirth building in his eyes.
"Er …" Neville looked mortified, and at a complete loss for words.
Ron rescued him. Raising a glass to the room, he addressed Harry and Draco. "May you have great times together, may you keep all the details to yourselves, and may you not kill each other along the way."
"Here, here," Seamus chimed in.
"Amen to that," added Blaise.
Pansy cleared her throat, looked at Hermione and winked. "You can share whatever details you like with us!"
To Ron's horror, Hermione raised her glass. "Here, here!"
Harry gaped at the women in shock. Draco wrapped his arm around Harry and glared at Pansy. "Not bloody likely."
Pansy and Hermione sighed. "Spoilsport."