Non-fluffy Advent fic: complete!
Dec. 25th, 2013 10:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
omi_ohmyMerry Christmas!
Here's a little epilogue for you. I've really enjoyed writing this, and will miss these boys. Thank you to everyone who read along as I posted! I will probably have a bit of a read through myself and tidy this up, then repost on AO3 etc.
I've been thinking about the title: how about 'Twenty-four Reasons to Remember'? Or is that lame? (No idea).
Enjoy your day, whatever it brings. <3
Summary: Harry has almost forgotten what it is to be happy in love and life, until Draco gives him twenty-four chances to remember.
Word count (this part): ~600 (and the whole fic came in at 17,600 - woohoo for writing little bits in the middle of the night!)
Rating: NC-17.
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended
Want to read from the beginning? Part 1
<<parts 21, 22, 23, 24
0.
“I should have guessed.” Draco pulled the small bottle clear from the tissue paper.
“It did seem the obvious gift.”
“Can I watch it now?” Draco touched Harry’s wrist, his finger’s lingering in a gentle stroke. “It’s not going to… distract us, is it?”
“It’s not that type of memory, you dirty perve. I’m not arriving at Hermione’s looking freshly shagged.”
“Like we haven’t done it before.”
Harry mumbled something about ‘not on Christmas day’, but they had turned up on more than one occasion with hair awry and buttons not quite done up straight.
He held Draco’s hand as they dipped their heads over the Pensieve.
“I’ve met someone.” Harry twisted the cushion on his lap. He was sitting on the squashy sofa in Ron and Hermione’s old flat.
“Yes.” Hermione nodded. Harry looked up from the cushion, confusion written all over his face.
“Yes? That’s all you have to say? Where’s the usual barrage of questions?”
Ron cleared his throat. “There’s really not much of a mystery here. You’ve had that stupid grin plastered all over your face, and you turned up for training with those marks on your ne—”
“There’s more.” Harry returned to his cushion mauling. “I’m not sure how to tell you this.”
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.
“We were there, remember?” Hermione said. Ron nodded.
“Where?”
“At school.”
“You were obsessed, mate. And when you started asking all those questions about Malfoy recently…”
“It really wasn’t too hard to put two and two together. And it was a bit of shock at first but… the more I think about it, the more I think I understand. Besides,” Hermione added, “from what I’ve heard, he’s really applied himself to the Healer programme. I… it’s not going to be easy, but if you like him… I’m willing to give him a chance.” She folded her hands in her lap.
“You know!” Harry looked between his friends. “You know. But… I don’t understand.”
“You should invite him to the pub one night,” Hermione said. The pub. The confusion on Harry's face had turned to disbelief. He stared at her, as if waiting for the disappointed look or the concerned frown. “Oh, don’t look so worried, we won’t eat him.”
“Bet you’d like to—”
“Ronald!”
“Er, sorry. Forgot where I was for a second there.”
“You want to go out for drinks with Draco Malfoy?” Harry had a wild edge to his voice. Watching the memory, Draco squeezed Harry's hand.
“Harry, you’ve smiled more in the past two weeks than you have for about a year.”
“I– I really like him.” Harry blushed. “I don’t remember thinking him like this before, but now I can’t stop thinking about him. He’s smart, and funny, and I’d like…” He looked up. “For the first time in a long time, I think… I think that this could work. Barmy as that sounds. I can imagine us,” Harry’s blush deepened, “you know. Growing old together.”
Hermione looked a little pained, but reached out to grasp his fingers.
Ron gave Hermione a gentle smile and a resigned shrug before saying, “We’ll try to get to know him. For you.”
“Thanks.” Harry shook himself and stood up. “I’ll get this round.” He left his friends whispering in the corner, but he didn’t care, because he knew that after this he was going to see Draco, and that made everything all right.
The memory fell away, and Harry and Draco were left sitting together, their hands still joined between them.
“Draco, let’s grow old together.”
Draco didn’t say anything for a moment. But then he nodded and smiled. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
They kissed, and it was warm and familiar and yet still full of possibility. Harry smiled as he pulled away.
"Happy Christmas."
The end.
Here's a little epilogue for you. I've really enjoyed writing this, and will miss these boys. Thank you to everyone who read along as I posted! I will probably have a bit of a read through myself and tidy this up, then repost on AO3 etc.
I've been thinking about the title: how about 'Twenty-four Reasons to Remember'? Or is that lame? (No idea).
Enjoy your day, whatever it brings. <3
Summary: Harry has almost forgotten what it is to be happy in love and life, until Draco gives him twenty-four chances to remember.
Word count (this part): ~600 (and the whole fic came in at 17,600 - woohoo for writing little bits in the middle of the night!)
Rating: NC-17.
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended
Want to read from the beginning? Part 1
<<parts 21, 22, 23, 24
0.
“I should have guessed.” Draco pulled the small bottle clear from the tissue paper.
“It did seem the obvious gift.”
“Can I watch it now?” Draco touched Harry’s wrist, his finger’s lingering in a gentle stroke. “It’s not going to… distract us, is it?”
“It’s not that type of memory, you dirty perve. I’m not arriving at Hermione’s looking freshly shagged.”
“Like we haven’t done it before.”
Harry mumbled something about ‘not on Christmas day’, but they had turned up on more than one occasion with hair awry and buttons not quite done up straight.
He held Draco’s hand as they dipped their heads over the Pensieve.
“I’ve met someone.” Harry twisted the cushion on his lap. He was sitting on the squashy sofa in Ron and Hermione’s old flat.
“Yes.” Hermione nodded. Harry looked up from the cushion, confusion written all over his face.
“Yes? That’s all you have to say? Where’s the usual barrage of questions?”
Ron cleared his throat. “There’s really not much of a mystery here. You’ve had that stupid grin plastered all over your face, and you turned up for training with those marks on your ne—”
“There’s more.” Harry returned to his cushion mauling. “I’m not sure how to tell you this.”
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.
“We were there, remember?” Hermione said. Ron nodded.
“Where?”
“At school.”
“You were obsessed, mate. And when you started asking all those questions about Malfoy recently…”
“It really wasn’t too hard to put two and two together. And it was a bit of shock at first but… the more I think about it, the more I think I understand. Besides,” Hermione added, “from what I’ve heard, he’s really applied himself to the Healer programme. I… it’s not going to be easy, but if you like him… I’m willing to give him a chance.” She folded her hands in her lap.
“You know!” Harry looked between his friends. “You know. But… I don’t understand.”
“You should invite him to the pub one night,” Hermione said. The pub. The confusion on Harry's face had turned to disbelief. He stared at her, as if waiting for the disappointed look or the concerned frown. “Oh, don’t look so worried, we won’t eat him.”
“Bet you’d like to—”
“Ronald!”
“Er, sorry. Forgot where I was for a second there.”
“You want to go out for drinks with Draco Malfoy?” Harry had a wild edge to his voice. Watching the memory, Draco squeezed Harry's hand.
“Harry, you’ve smiled more in the past two weeks than you have for about a year.”
“I– I really like him.” Harry blushed. “I don’t remember thinking him like this before, but now I can’t stop thinking about him. He’s smart, and funny, and I’d like…” He looked up. “For the first time in a long time, I think… I think that this could work. Barmy as that sounds. I can imagine us,” Harry’s blush deepened, “you know. Growing old together.”
Hermione looked a little pained, but reached out to grasp his fingers.
Ron gave Hermione a gentle smile and a resigned shrug before saying, “We’ll try to get to know him. For you.”
“Thanks.” Harry shook himself and stood up. “I’ll get this round.” He left his friends whispering in the corner, but he didn’t care, because he knew that after this he was going to see Draco, and that made everything all right.
The memory fell away, and Harry and Draco were left sitting together, their hands still joined between them.
“Draco, let’s grow old together.”
Draco didn’t say anything for a moment. But then he nodded and smiled. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
They kissed, and it was warm and familiar and yet still full of possibility. Harry smiled as he pulled away.
"Happy Christmas."
The end.
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Date: 2014-01-06 09:40 pm (UTC)