Faerie Boy
Title: Faerie Boy
Author: slashxxd
Pairing: H/D
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Un-betad. Oh gods.
Word count: 2,368
Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction written for entertainment purposes only. I do not claim to have ownership over any of the characters or situations involved in this story as all legal rights belong to that of J.K. Rowling. No profit is made from this story except for possible fan comments that make I, the author, squee with delight.
Author's note: This story is un-betad, purely drabble, and probably terrible. Written for enchanted_jae 's monthly drabble challenge: It was a dark and stormy night... as well as harrylovesdraco 's challenge # 10: Halloween or Samhain
Summary: Draco thought it would be a great idea to go to the graveyard, alone, on Halloween night. Many hysterics ensue.
It was dark as hell tonight. The sounds of shrill laughter and excited shouts could faintly be heard, gentle as the whisper of leaves in the nearby forest. The other students of Hogwarts were no doubt pulling pranks, eating candy that made them grow wings, scaring the house ghosts - but that held no allure for Draco. As soon as his dorm mates were gone to wreck havoc, he wrapped himself in his jacket and left the castle.
One could say it was somewhat of a tradition for him to seclude himself on Halloween. He had never been one for large groups and excitable atmospheres. No, he much preferred to sit alone. In the graveyard.
Ironic to be so relaxed in such a place on the night of their assumed reign of terror. Draco sat comfortably with his back against a tree, reading by candlelight. The small fire, spelled to warm wherever its light fell, reflected its entrancing dance in Draco's silver eyes. He softly read the book's blurb aloud to himself.
"'…It was a dark and stormy night. Few were brave enough to live unsheltered under the ominous skies, but if one looked hard enough, and could see past the foggy promise of rain to come, there were wanderers in the street. They walked alone, aimlessly, never home, never lost. They looked for nothing and found nothing, lived but lead no lives. No one ever saw them. Only figures. Only assumptions. There forms were necessary for the landscape but unexplored. Until that night.'
"The bestselling author of the Wizarding world now resides with her famous fae husband in Hogsmede Village. 'He told me, 'you're writing will make you millions,' and I would just say- "
A large crack! exploded the silence of the graveyard. Draco's eyes shot up to see a creature fall from the tree above, landing loudly on the earth beside him.
The first thought that Draco had was Oh Merlin, this is it.
The realization came over him. He was in a graveyard.
It was Halloween.
He was far away from everyone, and even so there were only a few people who would save him anyways.
His father was still hated by the death eaters.
He was going to die.
Draco was going to die as the little snitch who thought he was too good for everything. Who would go to his funeral? Pansy? His mother?
Please don't let this be it.
He was never going to have that chance to truly compensate for all the damage he had caused.
Please.
He was going to live and die with his mistakes.
He couldn't scream. He sat perfectly still, paralyzed by a fear that he would never admit
Trembling, Draco turned to the creature, a black mass in the dim light. It was slowly moving, groaning. It lifted its head slowly, and the candle light finally revealed its face. Green eyes locked with Draco's.
"Potter!?" Draco whispered in disbelief.
Harry just stared at him, speechless. His eyes were wide with fear. Swallowing roughly, he parted his lips and spilled out a mess of explanation.
"I was checking the map to see where Ron had went because he pulled this awful trick on Hermione and she locked herself in the girls bathroom crying but instead I saw you off grounds alone and I thought you were up to something and when I heard you murmuring I thought for sure you were trying to summon some demon or something to take revenge-"
"Thank you. Oh gods, thank you." Draco breathed
"-on the castle so I went in the tree and- wait, what?"
Draco laughed. How scared he had been! Thinking Potter was some raging lunatic about to kill him! He looked in Harry's eyes and spiraled into hysterics at that look of pure confusion. He had never been more glad to see that face than now. The savior of the wizarding world indeed! How many times had he had to save Draco now? Crying. He was crying from laughing so hard!
Harry lay partly on the ground watching Draco's fit, not saying a word. Slowly, Draco remained composure. A few glances at Harry made him burst into giggles again, but soon his body retaliated against so much indignation. Potter must think him insane. That kept the smile on his lips.
"I just…" Draco bit his smiling lips. "I thought you were someone coming to kill me."
That was it, his stomach was sore from so much work but he laughed again. Harry watched, a smile forming on his lips. Soon, the two of them were laughing harder than they had since before the war. No, it wasn't really that funny. But somehow it was, and damn it felt good to laugh.
Minutes passed before the two of them could contain themselves. A silence began to grow, assuring, still tinged with amusement. Draco looked to Harry, who was now laying on his side, studying the fire with a smile. The fringes of his jet black hair touched his thick lashes, which Draco realized had been colored to match his eyes.
"What are you supposed to be, anyways?" He inquired. Harry's smile was unsure for a moment as he depicted Draco's stare, as if he was only now realizing that he was having a conversation with Draco Malfoy that involved no cuss words or threats.
"You have to promise not to laugh."
"I don't think I can laugh much more anyways without throwing up."
Harry, with a confident smile gracing his features, shook his head. "I lost a bet with Ron, so I had to dress up as a faerie."
"A faerie."
A moment passed.
"Hey! You promised not to laugh, you liar!"
Draco tamed his sniggering before it got out of control again. "I'm sorry," he said, trying his best to sound genuine, "but it's funny."
Harry hit him on the arm, laughing softly himself. "Yeah, I guess."
The midnight breeze picked up for a moment, carrying away a few red leaves. The moon above was a silver sun, bright and beautiful as ever. The stars twinkled against the black night.
"Beautiful out here." Harry said softly. Draco studied those vibrant green eyes, the slightly parted lips. Harry had grown his hair longer than Draco had seen before. The ends fell over his shoulders and lay against his pale neck. He looked away, ashamed for staring.
"What are you doing out here alone, anyways?" Harry's eyes swung to meet his. "You're not even wearing a costume."
"I don't really do the whole Halloween thing. Never have."
"What? Even as a kid? You must've trick-or-treated as a kid." Even I did that, Harry thought to himself.
"No. My parents thought it was rude and stupid. Malfoy's do not beg. Especially not for candy."
Harry laughed. "Merlin, your childhood must've sucked."
Silence crossed between them.
"I- I'm sorry. That's none of my business."
Draco was faced with a choice. He could tell Harry to bugger off and let things go back to the way they were, or confess his life story.
Hah! Tell Potter about his childhood so he could use it against him?
No.
Way.
"No, it's alright. It's true- in comparison to other people's lives as a child, I mean. I was supposed to focus on my studies and learn- well, how to make our family look good, I guess. The only social functions I went to were business meetings my father had with shop owners in Knockturn Alley." He really hadn't meant to say it. It just came out. What he meant to say was "Fuck off, Potter." It was close enough, right?
"Hah. Well, I can relate to how being stuck in the house is. Get this," Harry leaned in, seemingly excited to be comparing their dark pasts. "I lived with my aunt and uncle, muggles, who knew next to nothing about magic, and hated my guts. My room was the broom cupboard under the stairs."
"What? Harry Potter, Golden Boy, lived in a broom cupboard?" He hadn't meant to say that, either. This was going to be a potentially dangerous conversation if Draco couldn't bite his tongue. "Well," he said considerately, "that makes me feel much better about my childhood."
Harry smiled again. That brilliant smile of pearly whites that lit up those emerald eyes.
Merlin, this was a disaster.
"Yeah, not exactly ideal, but… I survived."
"You seem to do that a lot." Draco noted. Harry gave a nod. "Surviving and saving. It must be a lot of work."
"Yeah." Harry was so much older than that first year that blew him off. The arm he leaned his head on was lined with obvious muscle, his jaw line firm and strong. Even in his face Draco could see the hardships that had formed him. The darkness beneath his eyes barely hinted possible insomnia, but Draco could see it. The way his mouth tugged down slightly at the corners when he was lost in thought. Truth be told, this was the first time the two had talked since the end of the war. Hell, this was the first time Draco had really looked at Harry since that time. A sudden guilt washed over him.
"Harry," the name was strange in his mouth, a flavor that Draco had forgotten how to taste. Harry looked up in surprise at the sound. "I never… told you how grateful I am to you. You saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."
Draco didn’t know what to expect, and the small silence that ensued did not surprise him.
Harry studied his face carefully. What was he looking for? "You didn't deserve to die like that. I'm glad…" Harry exhaled sadly. "It's been a comfort to me to see you this year. I've been… suffering a lot since the war ended. Everyone has. I didn't think I would be able to come back to school after…" Harry met his eyes, and he knew that there was no possible way to turn away from such a stare. "I let so many people die, Draco. I haven't been able to stop blaming myself for all the deaths that happened during the war. If I hadn't been so stupid, if I could've figured out how to kill him before, how many people would still be here?"
Disconsolate. That was the definition of the man lying before him. Draco felt like he wouldn't be able to movie even if the whole world burst into flame. There was no reason for Harry to tell him these things, but he was. And Draco wanted it. He wanted to hear more. He wanted that voice to confess to him, to trust him. In that moment, it was more important to him than anything.
"To see you here Draco … I guess it helps me. I have nightmares sometimes - I can see them. The people I loved lying dead, people that died because I was wasting time wishing that I didn't have to deal with so much pressure, I was complaining and pitying myself and my selfishness lead to their death. And I wake up and I know it was all my fault, I know it, and I just feel like dying for it, because maybe someone else could've worked it out faster and done the right things and kept them alive. I think to myself, I'm useless, I'm useless, I'm useless, but I somehow manage to get out of bed in the morning, and when I see you I remember, hey, I did something, right? I saved that guy, and he's still here, he's not dead. If I hadn’t saved you from that fire Draco… if I couldn't see you alive, doing normal, everyday things, maybe not perfectly fine but happy enough, having your whole life ahead of you, coping with the world after everything… I don't know if I could live with myself."
Draco thought he forgot how to breathe. The silence was deafening.
"I'm sorry," Harry said. He shook his head and stood up, swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
Draco listened to the crunching of the fall leaves beneath Harry's feet. They became further and further away.
When Draco remembered how to move, he ran.
The candle had gone out by the time Harry had gone, and Draco left the book to read itself in the night. The cool air pulled tears from Draco's eyes as he went, faster than he thought possible. The world was a blur. There was only the figure ahead of him, that necessity in the landscape. That lost sole.
"Harry!" He tried to yell, but it came out as nothing more than a whisper. "Harry!"
Before he reached him, Harry turned in alarm at the sound of running footsteps.
The faerie wings closed nervously. His lips were trembling when Draco kissed them.
Draco held onto his waist for dear life, desperately pressing his lips against Harry's, taking that bottom lip gently between his teeth. Each movement screamed for acceptance, for something more. Draco knew that his eyes were still watering. His lips were probably a little chapped. This was all going horribly wrong-
Until Harry kissed him back.
Those strong arms wrapped around Draco's delicate frame, and Merlin Draco nearly sobbed in relief. Harry's lips were delicate, even as they poured out so many emotions that Draco was sure he would drown. He tangled his fingers in that messy hair, soft and perfect as silk. He tasted so good. Draco wanted to kiss him forever, needed cover his tongue with the taste -but he pulled away. Heaving, he tried desperately to retrieve his breath after his mile sprint. He felt Harry smile as he placed a kiss on Draco's forehead.
"Did you run all this way?"
Draco panted, nodding in response.
"Merlin," Harry laughed, pulling Draco even closer than before. He had never been hugged so tightly before. "you know I'm never going to let you go."
Draco pulled away enough to taste those smiling lips again, pausing an immeasurable distance from them to whisper "Okay, faerie boy."
Author: slashxxd
Pairing: H/D
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Un-betad. Oh gods.
Word count: 2,368
Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction written for entertainment purposes only. I do not claim to have ownership over any of the characters or situations involved in this story as all legal rights belong to that of J.K. Rowling. No profit is made from this story except for possible fan comments that make I, the author, squee with delight.
Author's note: This story is un-betad, purely drabble, and probably terrible. Written for enchanted_jae 's monthly drabble challenge: It was a dark and stormy night... as well as harrylovesdraco 's challenge # 10: Halloween or Samhain
Summary: Draco thought it would be a great idea to go to the graveyard, alone, on Halloween night. Many hysterics ensue.
It was dark as hell tonight. The sounds of shrill laughter and excited shouts could faintly be heard, gentle as the whisper of leaves in the nearby forest. The other students of Hogwarts were no doubt pulling pranks, eating candy that made them grow wings, scaring the house ghosts - but that held no allure for Draco. As soon as his dorm mates were gone to wreck havoc, he wrapped himself in his jacket and left the castle.
One could say it was somewhat of a tradition for him to seclude himself on Halloween. He had never been one for large groups and excitable atmospheres. No, he much preferred to sit alone. In the graveyard.
Ironic to be so relaxed in such a place on the night of their assumed reign of terror. Draco sat comfortably with his back against a tree, reading by candlelight. The small fire, spelled to warm wherever its light fell, reflected its entrancing dance in Draco's silver eyes. He softly read the book's blurb aloud to himself.
"'…It was a dark and stormy night. Few were brave enough to live unsheltered under the ominous skies, but if one looked hard enough, and could see past the foggy promise of rain to come, there were wanderers in the street. They walked alone, aimlessly, never home, never lost. They looked for nothing and found nothing, lived but lead no lives. No one ever saw them. Only figures. Only assumptions. There forms were necessary for the landscape but unexplored. Until that night.'
"The bestselling author of the Wizarding world now resides with her famous fae husband in Hogsmede Village. 'He told me, 'you're writing will make you millions,' and I would just say- "
A large crack! exploded the silence of the graveyard. Draco's eyes shot up to see a creature fall from the tree above, landing loudly on the earth beside him.
The first thought that Draco had was Oh Merlin, this is it.
The realization came over him. He was in a graveyard.
It was Halloween.
He was far away from everyone, and even so there were only a few people who would save him anyways.
His father was still hated by the death eaters.
He was going to die.
Draco was going to die as the little snitch who thought he was too good for everything. Who would go to his funeral? Pansy? His mother?
Please don't let this be it.
He was never going to have that chance to truly compensate for all the damage he had caused.
Please.
He was going to live and die with his mistakes.
He couldn't scream. He sat perfectly still, paralyzed by a fear that he would never admit
Trembling, Draco turned to the creature, a black mass in the dim light. It was slowly moving, groaning. It lifted its head slowly, and the candle light finally revealed its face. Green eyes locked with Draco's.
"Potter!?" Draco whispered in disbelief.
Harry just stared at him, speechless. His eyes were wide with fear. Swallowing roughly, he parted his lips and spilled out a mess of explanation.
"I was checking the map to see where Ron had went because he pulled this awful trick on Hermione and she locked herself in the girls bathroom crying but instead I saw you off grounds alone and I thought you were up to something and when I heard you murmuring I thought for sure you were trying to summon some demon or something to take revenge-"
"Thank you. Oh gods, thank you." Draco breathed
"-on the castle so I went in the tree and- wait, what?"
Draco laughed. How scared he had been! Thinking Potter was some raging lunatic about to kill him! He looked in Harry's eyes and spiraled into hysterics at that look of pure confusion. He had never been more glad to see that face than now. The savior of the wizarding world indeed! How many times had he had to save Draco now? Crying. He was crying from laughing so hard!
Harry lay partly on the ground watching Draco's fit, not saying a word. Slowly, Draco remained composure. A few glances at Harry made him burst into giggles again, but soon his body retaliated against so much indignation. Potter must think him insane. That kept the smile on his lips.
"I just…" Draco bit his smiling lips. "I thought you were someone coming to kill me."
That was it, his stomach was sore from so much work but he laughed again. Harry watched, a smile forming on his lips. Soon, the two of them were laughing harder than they had since before the war. No, it wasn't really that funny. But somehow it was, and damn it felt good to laugh.
Minutes passed before the two of them could contain themselves. A silence began to grow, assuring, still tinged with amusement. Draco looked to Harry, who was now laying on his side, studying the fire with a smile. The fringes of his jet black hair touched his thick lashes, which Draco realized had been colored to match his eyes.
"What are you supposed to be, anyways?" He inquired. Harry's smile was unsure for a moment as he depicted Draco's stare, as if he was only now realizing that he was having a conversation with Draco Malfoy that involved no cuss words or threats.
"You have to promise not to laugh."
"I don't think I can laugh much more anyways without throwing up."
Harry, with a confident smile gracing his features, shook his head. "I lost a bet with Ron, so I had to dress up as a faerie."
"A faerie."
A moment passed.
"Hey! You promised not to laugh, you liar!"
Draco tamed his sniggering before it got out of control again. "I'm sorry," he said, trying his best to sound genuine, "but it's funny."
Harry hit him on the arm, laughing softly himself. "Yeah, I guess."
The midnight breeze picked up for a moment, carrying away a few red leaves. The moon above was a silver sun, bright and beautiful as ever. The stars twinkled against the black night.
"Beautiful out here." Harry said softly. Draco studied those vibrant green eyes, the slightly parted lips. Harry had grown his hair longer than Draco had seen before. The ends fell over his shoulders and lay against his pale neck. He looked away, ashamed for staring.
"What are you doing out here alone, anyways?" Harry's eyes swung to meet his. "You're not even wearing a costume."
"I don't really do the whole Halloween thing. Never have."
"What? Even as a kid? You must've trick-or-treated as a kid." Even I did that, Harry thought to himself.
"No. My parents thought it was rude and stupid. Malfoy's do not beg. Especially not for candy."
Harry laughed. "Merlin, your childhood must've sucked."
Silence crossed between them.
"I- I'm sorry. That's none of my business."
Draco was faced with a choice. He could tell Harry to bugger off and let things go back to the way they were, or confess his life story.
Hah! Tell Potter about his childhood so he could use it against him?
No.
Way.
"No, it's alright. It's true- in comparison to other people's lives as a child, I mean. I was supposed to focus on my studies and learn- well, how to make our family look good, I guess. The only social functions I went to were business meetings my father had with shop owners in Knockturn Alley." He really hadn't meant to say it. It just came out. What he meant to say was "Fuck off, Potter." It was close enough, right?
"Hah. Well, I can relate to how being stuck in the house is. Get this," Harry leaned in, seemingly excited to be comparing their dark pasts. "I lived with my aunt and uncle, muggles, who knew next to nothing about magic, and hated my guts. My room was the broom cupboard under the stairs."
"What? Harry Potter, Golden Boy, lived in a broom cupboard?" He hadn't meant to say that, either. This was going to be a potentially dangerous conversation if Draco couldn't bite his tongue. "Well," he said considerately, "that makes me feel much better about my childhood."
Harry smiled again. That brilliant smile of pearly whites that lit up those emerald eyes.
Merlin, this was a disaster.
"Yeah, not exactly ideal, but… I survived."
"You seem to do that a lot." Draco noted. Harry gave a nod. "Surviving and saving. It must be a lot of work."
"Yeah." Harry was so much older than that first year that blew him off. The arm he leaned his head on was lined with obvious muscle, his jaw line firm and strong. Even in his face Draco could see the hardships that had formed him. The darkness beneath his eyes barely hinted possible insomnia, but Draco could see it. The way his mouth tugged down slightly at the corners when he was lost in thought. Truth be told, this was the first time the two had talked since the end of the war. Hell, this was the first time Draco had really looked at Harry since that time. A sudden guilt washed over him.
"Harry," the name was strange in his mouth, a flavor that Draco had forgotten how to taste. Harry looked up in surprise at the sound. "I never… told you how grateful I am to you. You saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."
Draco didn’t know what to expect, and the small silence that ensued did not surprise him.
Harry studied his face carefully. What was he looking for? "You didn't deserve to die like that. I'm glad…" Harry exhaled sadly. "It's been a comfort to me to see you this year. I've been… suffering a lot since the war ended. Everyone has. I didn't think I would be able to come back to school after…" Harry met his eyes, and he knew that there was no possible way to turn away from such a stare. "I let so many people die, Draco. I haven't been able to stop blaming myself for all the deaths that happened during the war. If I hadn't been so stupid, if I could've figured out how to kill him before, how many people would still be here?"
Disconsolate. That was the definition of the man lying before him. Draco felt like he wouldn't be able to movie even if the whole world burst into flame. There was no reason for Harry to tell him these things, but he was. And Draco wanted it. He wanted to hear more. He wanted that voice to confess to him, to trust him. In that moment, it was more important to him than anything.
"To see you here Draco … I guess it helps me. I have nightmares sometimes - I can see them. The people I loved lying dead, people that died because I was wasting time wishing that I didn't have to deal with so much pressure, I was complaining and pitying myself and my selfishness lead to their death. And I wake up and I know it was all my fault, I know it, and I just feel like dying for it, because maybe someone else could've worked it out faster and done the right things and kept them alive. I think to myself, I'm useless, I'm useless, I'm useless, but I somehow manage to get out of bed in the morning, and when I see you I remember, hey, I did something, right? I saved that guy, and he's still here, he's not dead. If I hadn’t saved you from that fire Draco… if I couldn't see you alive, doing normal, everyday things, maybe not perfectly fine but happy enough, having your whole life ahead of you, coping with the world after everything… I don't know if I could live with myself."
Draco thought he forgot how to breathe. The silence was deafening.
"I'm sorry," Harry said. He shook his head and stood up, swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
Draco listened to the crunching of the fall leaves beneath Harry's feet. They became further and further away.
When Draco remembered how to move, he ran.
The candle had gone out by the time Harry had gone, and Draco left the book to read itself in the night. The cool air pulled tears from Draco's eyes as he went, faster than he thought possible. The world was a blur. There was only the figure ahead of him, that necessity in the landscape. That lost sole.
"Harry!" He tried to yell, but it came out as nothing more than a whisper. "Harry!"
Before he reached him, Harry turned in alarm at the sound of running footsteps.
The faerie wings closed nervously. His lips were trembling when Draco kissed them.
Draco held onto his waist for dear life, desperately pressing his lips against Harry's, taking that bottom lip gently between his teeth. Each movement screamed for acceptance, for something more. Draco knew that his eyes were still watering. His lips were probably a little chapped. This was all going horribly wrong-
Until Harry kissed him back.
Those strong arms wrapped around Draco's delicate frame, and Merlin Draco nearly sobbed in relief. Harry's lips were delicate, even as they poured out so many emotions that Draco was sure he would drown. He tangled his fingers in that messy hair, soft and perfect as silk. He tasted so good. Draco wanted to kiss him forever, needed cover his tongue with the taste -but he pulled away. Heaving, he tried desperately to retrieve his breath after his mile sprint. He felt Harry smile as he placed a kiss on Draco's forehead.
"Did you run all this way?"
Draco panted, nodding in response.
"Merlin," Harry laughed, pulling Draco even closer than before. He had never been hugged so tightly before. "you know I'm never going to let you go."
Draco pulled away enough to taste those smiling lips again, pausing an immeasurable distance from them to whisper "Okay, faerie boy."