Something Completely Different (H/D, 14+)
Title: Something Completely Different
Author/Artist: sesheta_66
Requestor: draco_pet
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: 14+
Wordcount: ~1950 words
Warnings: None
Summary: Harry and Draco run into Dudley while on vacation, and feelings long ago suppressed come to the forefront for Harry. Thankfully, Draco is there to pick up the pieces.
Disclaimer: Characters and setting all belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No infringement is intended, and no money is being earned.
A/N: The request was: Post-Voldemort. Hurt/Comfort fic. On their vacation, Harry and Draco run into his homophobic cousin, Dudley. This causes Harry to remember the horrific neglect and taunting he suffered at the Dursleys' house, making him feel that Draco deserves better. Draco then sets out to prove how much he loves Harry. Happy ending, please..
"Why is it that we're taking Muggle transport again, Harry?" Draco was attempting to sound put out, but Harry knew his boyfriend was actually quite nervous about going on one of those 'flying metal death traps' that Seamus had gone on at length about. The Irishman had only stopped his long diatribe after Harry threatened to cut both the alcohol and his bits off.
"Because, Draco," Harry said patiently for the fiftieth time today, he was sure, "there are no established wizarding towns in Cuba. In order to get there unnoticed, we need to fly."
"I still don't know why we have to go to Cuba anyway. There are perfectly good wizarding resorts that we could Apparate to."
"Yes, but we always go to wizarding resorts, and we are always accosted by the media. This time I wanted to do something completely different. Get away from all that. Really, truly escape our pasts, and just live in the moment. Savour our time together."
"You do realize that I don't tan," Draco pointed out, ever a man to state the obvious, as though that could have gone unnoticed.
"Really? I hadn't noticed, what with the almost translucent skin which lacks almost any sign of pigment. You'd think I might have caught on by now, hmm?"
"Funny Potter. This isn't some ploy to get me to tan, is it? Because it won't work. Malfoys don't tan. We simply don't. There's no use even trying."
"Then there should be no problem with whatever destination I choose, right? If you won't tan, then that's that." Harry said that with triumph in his voice, almost completely astounded at his own ability to win the banter. Until he saw Draco's face.
"You aren't trying to get me to tan, are you? I mean, you've never complained before. This isn't just an English shade, you know. This is how I am, and how I always will be. You knew that when we got together."
Harry took him in his arms, and gave him a sound snogging. "You are gorgeous, Draco, and you bloody well know it. No amount of pouting and 'you don't love me' bullshite is going to convince me that you don't know how gorgeous you are. So shut it, and get packed. We're off in an hour."
They arrived none the worse for wear, thanks to some helpful tips from some of their Muggle-born friends, and a couple home-made concoctions from Snape that ensured they wouldn't feel any of the cabin pressure fluctuations, and that Draco would sleep most of the flight. Both potions worked like a charm ... well, no, they actually worked like a potion, but that's neither here nor there. They worked at any rate, and both wizards arrived safely in Cuba.
Their resort was in the tourist-only location of Cayo Coco, a place with white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Despite the heat, they found themselves quite comfortable, a lovely breeze serving to cool things off.
After their orientation, they went down to the beach, settled in under a hut, and sipped their drinks, soaking up the atmosphere. The beach, though full of people, didn't seem crowded like some they'd been to. There was, in Draco's opinion, a pleasant lack of obnoxious youth blasting annoying music. There was Caribbean music playing at the bar just up the way, at a perfect volume to allow everyone on the beach to carry on civil conversations, enjoy a good book, or even nap if the desire struck.
"I'm going in for a swim," Harry said after a while, getting up. "Care to join me?"
"Don't mind if I do." Draco reached out a hand, and Harry pulled him up into his arms, giving him a quick peck.
"Oh, for the love of God, can't we get away from the homos for even a fucking day? Look at that, would you, Pierce?"
Harry stiffened at the sound of the voice, but said nothing. Draco could feel Harry's magic reverberate around him.
"There just a couple of idiots, Harry. Don't pay them any mind." Draco had no intention of letting the stupid prats away with that, but Harry came first. And for some unknown reason his boyfriend was letting these guys get to him. "They're nobodies, and besides that they've moved on. It looks like they might be staying at another resort up the beach a stretch."
"They're not just idiots, Draco."
"Sure they are."
"Oh, no they're not. The one with the big mouth ..."
"Yes?"
"That's my cousin, Dudley."
"That's your cousin?"
"Mhm. I'd know that voice anywhere. Blonde, fat, face like a pig?"
"Yup."
"I think I'm going to be sick," Harry said.
"What? But why? He's an idiot, you and I both know that, and you are much more powerful than he could ever hope to be. What's the problem?"
"I ... I don't really know. I just know that I need to go up to our room. Now."
Harry spent that evening and night in their room. He didn't even come out for supper. Draco reluctantly agreed to go get dinner for himself, but came back right away, having shrunk a couple of plates when no one was looking, and brought them back to the room. Harry merely played with his food.
"Harry, what's wrong? Surely you're not still bothered by what your cousin said? It's not like it's the first time you've heard something like that."
"No, unfortunately you're right. But it's not that. It's just ... I don't want to talk about it."
Draco sat on the bed and took him in his arms, resting Harry's head on his shoulder and kissing his temple. "You know, Harry, I think talking about it is exactly what you need to do. Something is eating you up inside, and it will just fester and get worse if you don't let it out."
"Since when did you become a Muggle shrink?" Harry joked half-heartedly.
"A what?"
"Never mind. It's just ... I don't know ... I can't really explain it."
"How about you try? Just say whatever comes to mind; it doesn't have to be in any particular order, or make any sense at all for that matter. Just let it out. I'm here for you."
"Maybe you shouldn't be."
Draco's back stiffened at those words. "What did you say?"
"I said that maybe you shouldn't be here with me. Maybe you should just cut your losses and get yourself someone else. You could have any guy you want, one without all the baggage. You deserve that, you know."
"Harry, where on earth is all this coming from?"
"I don't deserve you. I suppose I fooled myself into believing that I did, but ... well, we can never really escape who we are, can we?"
"No, but --"
"That's it then. Tomorrow I'll make arrangements to go home on the next flight, and --"
"Stop it! Right now. You are going nowhere. I am going nowhere. We have been together for five years, Harry. Why all of a sudden do you think that you don't deserve me? I don't get it. Two homophobic idiots walk past us; one makes a stupid remark, and suddenly you are the undeserving one? That makes no sense at all, Harry."
"I didn't say it made sense. It's just the way it is. I'm not the man you think I am. I may have run away from my past, but I can never, ever escape it."
"Let me get this straight, Harry. You, who had no choice in the matter, lost your parents when you were a baby. Then that nitwit Dumbledore - don't argue with me on this point - dumps you off to live with your Muggle relatives. They treat you abysmally, and from what little you've told me they obviously let your cousin treat you like garbage, probably much worse. You manage to survive all of that to eventually go to Hogwarts to learn magic. You do a more than respectable job at most subjects, and excel beyond anyone's expectations at Defence, even teaching it for a year. Then you manage to take on and defeat the most powerful dark wizard that has ever lived, to rid the world of his evil."
Harry made to interrupt, but Draco placed his finger against Harry's lips, whispering, "Shhh. Let me finish." Harry nodded. "At no time did you run away from your past. You just moved forward, and left the past behind, where it belongs. Now, as if that weren't enough, then there's me. You saved me, Harry. You gave me a chance, when no one else would, no matter what Snape said. No matter what Dumbledore had asked. No one but you listened to either of them. You wanted to hate Snape, and you wanted to hate me. But you didn't. Where there was the slightest chance of redemption, you couldn't turn a blind eye."
Draco put his fingers under Harry's chin, and lifted his face to gaze into his damp, beautiful eyes. "Without you, I honestly don't think I would be here right now. I would be dead, whether at the hands of an Auror or Voldemort himself. My life was worth nothing until you stepped in. You believed in me, and gave me all the confidence I needed to bring myself back from the edge. Don't get me wrong. Of course I know that I deserved the opportunity to redeem myself. I'm worthy of love, worthy of the chance to prove my worth to the world, to you. But at a moment when I doubted that, you were there for me, Harry."
Harry gave him an unreadable look, and blinked back the tears that had formed in his eyes.
"You brought me back to life in every way that counts. How on earth can you think yourself unworthy of my love? I can't imagine a person more worthy, more deserving of love and everything wonderful life has to offer. In fact, I'm quite sure that you deserve more than I can give you. But I am, after all, a Slytherin. Not nearly as noble and altruistic as my brave Gryffindor. So, alas, you are stuck with me. Because I am not giving you up without a fight. And I don't know about you, Harry, but I think we've both had enough fighting for a lifetime."
Harry smiled at his boyfriend, relief written all over his face. "I love you," he said, cupping Draco's face in his hands and planting gentle kisses on each cheek, then resting his forehead against the blonde's. "I love you a little bit more each day, you know that?"
"Well, what's not to love?" Draco asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"You have a point there, Malfoy. Now how about you let me show you just how much I love you?"
"That would be ... acceptable, I suppose."
"What?! Why you --" Harry said, flipping Draco over, and straddling him. "Acceptable, eh? I'll show you acceptable!"
"Well, I was rather hoping for above average, to be honest."
"You really are an insufferable git, you know that right?"
"Ah, but I'm your insufferable git, Harry."
"Yeah, yeah. Well ... I suppose I wouldn't want it any other way."
"Oh, and Harry?"
"Mhmm?"
"About your cousin?"
"Yes?" Harry asked warily.
"You do know that I will have to do something to him, right?"
"Naturally," Harry's eyes twinkled as he smiled at Draco.
"Good. Because I expect you to show me how much you appreciate that afterwards."
"Well, I did say we were coming here to do something completely different."
"Different is good," Draco said, smiling mischievously. "Different I can do."
~ FIN
Author/Artist: sesheta_66
Requestor: draco_pet
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: 14+
Wordcount: ~1950 words
Warnings: None
Summary: Harry and Draco run into Dudley while on vacation, and feelings long ago suppressed come to the forefront for Harry. Thankfully, Draco is there to pick up the pieces.
Disclaimer: Characters and setting all belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No infringement is intended, and no money is being earned.
A/N: The request was: Post-Voldemort. Hurt/Comfort fic. On their vacation, Harry and Draco run into his homophobic cousin, Dudley. This causes Harry to remember the horrific neglect and taunting he suffered at the Dursleys' house, making him feel that Draco deserves better. Draco then sets out to prove how much he loves Harry. Happy ending, please..
"Why is it that we're taking Muggle transport again, Harry?" Draco was attempting to sound put out, but Harry knew his boyfriend was actually quite nervous about going on one of those 'flying metal death traps' that Seamus had gone on at length about. The Irishman had only stopped his long diatribe after Harry threatened to cut both the alcohol and his bits off.
"Because, Draco," Harry said patiently for the fiftieth time today, he was sure, "there are no established wizarding towns in Cuba. In order to get there unnoticed, we need to fly."
"I still don't know why we have to go to Cuba anyway. There are perfectly good wizarding resorts that we could Apparate to."
"Yes, but we always go to wizarding resorts, and we are always accosted by the media. This time I wanted to do something completely different. Get away from all that. Really, truly escape our pasts, and just live in the moment. Savour our time together."
"You do realize that I don't tan," Draco pointed out, ever a man to state the obvious, as though that could have gone unnoticed.
"Really? I hadn't noticed, what with the almost translucent skin which lacks almost any sign of pigment. You'd think I might have caught on by now, hmm?"
"Funny Potter. This isn't some ploy to get me to tan, is it? Because it won't work. Malfoys don't tan. We simply don't. There's no use even trying."
"Then there should be no problem with whatever destination I choose, right? If you won't tan, then that's that." Harry said that with triumph in his voice, almost completely astounded at his own ability to win the banter. Until he saw Draco's face.
"You aren't trying to get me to tan, are you? I mean, you've never complained before. This isn't just an English shade, you know. This is how I am, and how I always will be. You knew that when we got together."
Harry took him in his arms, and gave him a sound snogging. "You are gorgeous, Draco, and you bloody well know it. No amount of pouting and 'you don't love me' bullshite is going to convince me that you don't know how gorgeous you are. So shut it, and get packed. We're off in an hour."
They arrived none the worse for wear, thanks to some helpful tips from some of their Muggle-born friends, and a couple home-made concoctions from Snape that ensured they wouldn't feel any of the cabin pressure fluctuations, and that Draco would sleep most of the flight. Both potions worked like a charm ... well, no, they actually worked like a potion, but that's neither here nor there. They worked at any rate, and both wizards arrived safely in Cuba.
Their resort was in the tourist-only location of Cayo Coco, a place with white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Despite the heat, they found themselves quite comfortable, a lovely breeze serving to cool things off.
After their orientation, they went down to the beach, settled in under a hut, and sipped their drinks, soaking up the atmosphere. The beach, though full of people, didn't seem crowded like some they'd been to. There was, in Draco's opinion, a pleasant lack of obnoxious youth blasting annoying music. There was Caribbean music playing at the bar just up the way, at a perfect volume to allow everyone on the beach to carry on civil conversations, enjoy a good book, or even nap if the desire struck.
"I'm going in for a swim," Harry said after a while, getting up. "Care to join me?"
"Don't mind if I do." Draco reached out a hand, and Harry pulled him up into his arms, giving him a quick peck.
"Oh, for the love of God, can't we get away from the homos for even a fucking day? Look at that, would you, Pierce?"
Harry stiffened at the sound of the voice, but said nothing. Draco could feel Harry's magic reverberate around him.
"There just a couple of idiots, Harry. Don't pay them any mind." Draco had no intention of letting the stupid prats away with that, but Harry came first. And for some unknown reason his boyfriend was letting these guys get to him. "They're nobodies, and besides that they've moved on. It looks like they might be staying at another resort up the beach a stretch."
"They're not just idiots, Draco."
"Sure they are."
"Oh, no they're not. The one with the big mouth ..."
"Yes?"
"That's my cousin, Dudley."
"That's your cousin?"
"Mhm. I'd know that voice anywhere. Blonde, fat, face like a pig?"
"Yup."
"I think I'm going to be sick," Harry said.
"What? But why? He's an idiot, you and I both know that, and you are much more powerful than he could ever hope to be. What's the problem?"
"I ... I don't really know. I just know that I need to go up to our room. Now."
Harry spent that evening and night in their room. He didn't even come out for supper. Draco reluctantly agreed to go get dinner for himself, but came back right away, having shrunk a couple of plates when no one was looking, and brought them back to the room. Harry merely played with his food.
"Harry, what's wrong? Surely you're not still bothered by what your cousin said? It's not like it's the first time you've heard something like that."
"No, unfortunately you're right. But it's not that. It's just ... I don't want to talk about it."
Draco sat on the bed and took him in his arms, resting Harry's head on his shoulder and kissing his temple. "You know, Harry, I think talking about it is exactly what you need to do. Something is eating you up inside, and it will just fester and get worse if you don't let it out."
"Since when did you become a Muggle shrink?" Harry joked half-heartedly.
"A what?"
"Never mind. It's just ... I don't know ... I can't really explain it."
"How about you try? Just say whatever comes to mind; it doesn't have to be in any particular order, or make any sense at all for that matter. Just let it out. I'm here for you."
"Maybe you shouldn't be."
Draco's back stiffened at those words. "What did you say?"
"I said that maybe you shouldn't be here with me. Maybe you should just cut your losses and get yourself someone else. You could have any guy you want, one without all the baggage. You deserve that, you know."
"Harry, where on earth is all this coming from?"
"I don't deserve you. I suppose I fooled myself into believing that I did, but ... well, we can never really escape who we are, can we?"
"No, but --"
"That's it then. Tomorrow I'll make arrangements to go home on the next flight, and --"
"Stop it! Right now. You are going nowhere. I am going nowhere. We have been together for five years, Harry. Why all of a sudden do you think that you don't deserve me? I don't get it. Two homophobic idiots walk past us; one makes a stupid remark, and suddenly you are the undeserving one? That makes no sense at all, Harry."
"I didn't say it made sense. It's just the way it is. I'm not the man you think I am. I may have run away from my past, but I can never, ever escape it."
"Let me get this straight, Harry. You, who had no choice in the matter, lost your parents when you were a baby. Then that nitwit Dumbledore - don't argue with me on this point - dumps you off to live with your Muggle relatives. They treat you abysmally, and from what little you've told me they obviously let your cousin treat you like garbage, probably much worse. You manage to survive all of that to eventually go to Hogwarts to learn magic. You do a more than respectable job at most subjects, and excel beyond anyone's expectations at Defence, even teaching it for a year. Then you manage to take on and defeat the most powerful dark wizard that has ever lived, to rid the world of his evil."
Harry made to interrupt, but Draco placed his finger against Harry's lips, whispering, "Shhh. Let me finish." Harry nodded. "At no time did you run away from your past. You just moved forward, and left the past behind, where it belongs. Now, as if that weren't enough, then there's me. You saved me, Harry. You gave me a chance, when no one else would, no matter what Snape said. No matter what Dumbledore had asked. No one but you listened to either of them. You wanted to hate Snape, and you wanted to hate me. But you didn't. Where there was the slightest chance of redemption, you couldn't turn a blind eye."
Draco put his fingers under Harry's chin, and lifted his face to gaze into his damp, beautiful eyes. "Without you, I honestly don't think I would be here right now. I would be dead, whether at the hands of an Auror or Voldemort himself. My life was worth nothing until you stepped in. You believed in me, and gave me all the confidence I needed to bring myself back from the edge. Don't get me wrong. Of course I know that I deserved the opportunity to redeem myself. I'm worthy of love, worthy of the chance to prove my worth to the world, to you. But at a moment when I doubted that, you were there for me, Harry."
Harry gave him an unreadable look, and blinked back the tears that had formed in his eyes.
"You brought me back to life in every way that counts. How on earth can you think yourself unworthy of my love? I can't imagine a person more worthy, more deserving of love and everything wonderful life has to offer. In fact, I'm quite sure that you deserve more than I can give you. But I am, after all, a Slytherin. Not nearly as noble and altruistic as my brave Gryffindor. So, alas, you are stuck with me. Because I am not giving you up without a fight. And I don't know about you, Harry, but I think we've both had enough fighting for a lifetime."
Harry smiled at his boyfriend, relief written all over his face. "I love you," he said, cupping Draco's face in his hands and planting gentle kisses on each cheek, then resting his forehead against the blonde's. "I love you a little bit more each day, you know that?"
"Well, what's not to love?" Draco asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"You have a point there, Malfoy. Now how about you let me show you just how much I love you?"
"That would be ... acceptable, I suppose."
"What?! Why you --" Harry said, flipping Draco over, and straddling him. "Acceptable, eh? I'll show you acceptable!"
"Well, I was rather hoping for above average, to be honest."
"You really are an insufferable git, you know that right?"
"Ah, but I'm your insufferable git, Harry."
"Yeah, yeah. Well ... I suppose I wouldn't want it any other way."
"Oh, and Harry?"
"Mhmm?"
"About your cousin?"
"Yes?" Harry asked warily.
"You do know that I will have to do something to him, right?"
"Naturally," Harry's eyes twinkled as he smiled at Draco.
"Good. Because I expect you to show me how much you appreciate that afterwards."
"Well, I did say we were coming here to do something completely different."
"Different is good," Draco said, smiling mischievously. "Different I can do."
~ FIN