Team AU: 15. He who can, does. He who can't, teaches the Dark Arts.

[hdcup_mod]

Title: In Summer Grass
Team: AU
Author: maja_li
Prompt: 15. He who can, does. He who can't, teaches the Dark Arts.
Wordcount: ~6700
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character death, angst.
Summary: The people Harry loved had a funny way of dying-so why should it be so strange that he fall in love with a dead man?
Author's Note: THANK YOU to my brilliant,

Comments

[smirking_muse]

I think you began this very interestingly by taking the other path for that first scene. I liked that he then began involved with helping him as a ghost. That was a wonderful twist. I also liked how very Draco he was and how free he seemed (I can't think of another way to describe it). He had so many concerns and pressures during his life- too many people expecting too much and so many social barriers to being himself. It made sense and was very nice that he was freed in death. I very much liked his "Gryffindolt" insult- it made me snigger a little everytime I read it. You used a wonderfully haunting style at the beginning that was echoed at the ending and worked so perfectly (with some reprieve for the later middle part

[maja_li]

Oh, darling, thank you so much! *huggle and cuddles and luffs* It was absolutely lovely to read this as a first review for my fic, and I'm delighted you liked it enough to say so much! :D

Ghost!Draco was a blast to write, but also a bit tricky; I wanted to let him have that freedom, like you said, but not to break completely with his living personality. Hence "Gryffindolt"! *laughs* He was a sneaky bastard, too always trying to come up with ways to hang around after the end...it was a bit sad for me, too, that I couldn't find a rational way for him to stay...so, I'm really glad you thought that the end worked, even if it was a downer. :)

Thanks so much for such a wonderful review! I'm going to be walking around for the rest of the day with just the silliest grin on my face. ^_^ *grins* ♥

[irisqi]

Oh gosh! This story represents the thing I love most about AU h/d- the fact that in any situation Harry and Draco come together. I absolutely love the way which you brought Harry and Draco together, when Draco has already died. There was something so fleeting, and tender, and romantic about their relationship.

Thank you so, so much for this.

[maja_li]

I'm so glad you liked it! :D I hadn't written much AU before this fest, so I felt most comfortable with a simple, "old school" sort of AU--no Muggles, no time travel, just a change and a "what if?" :) And plenty of boy-love, of course! *laughs*

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! ♥

[irisqi]

Oh yes! I read 'Harry the Latte Boy' after reading this and looking up your other stuff. The deathtrap of non-magical AU is when it becomes about two random boys who just coincidentally are named "Harry" and "Draco". However, your's was nice in that it still retained what was quintessential to the characters- Harry's earnestness, Draco's haughtiness/humility conflict. It was also very nice to see what Harry would have been like if he was not abused as a child.

So I just wanted to tell you that I liked your other stuff too! Although it is radically different from this story! =D

[maja_li]

Oh, wow, thank you! :D You know, it's so interesting that you picked up on the child abuse issue...now that I think of it, it isn't often in my mind when reading or writing H/D except in stories where it's really foregrounded because of some psychological issue. *ponders*

But, anyway, thanks for looking me up! I'm usually a total fluffball, so the other one is probably more representative...*laughs*

[nonajf]

Such a beautiful story and so sad! I liked the repeating phrases tying the sections together. I also liked that despite the change of Draco's death some things didn't change. Both life and death (or whatever the ghost-state is) is fleeting; it's a reminder not to waste opportunities.

[maja_li]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :D And I can definitely get behind that bit of philosphy there; I think it's something in the books that gets missed, even though people are dying left and right. *nods*

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! ♥

[lorac64]

I loved the way you wove canon into the AU story to make it seem so plausible. Ghostly Draco was very endearing!

[maja_li]

Yay! I had a lot of fun with both Draco and with figuring out how to balance canon vs. AU in this, so I'm glad you liked both of them. :D *grins*

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! ♥

[drusillas_rain]

What a great exploration! Interesting and exciting read ^_^

[maja_li]

Hee, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. ^_^

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! ♥