My H/D LDWS round 7 drabbles, reposted at long last
Very belatedly catching up on my reposting. These are the 4 drabbles I wrote for this year's H/D Last Drabble Writer Left Standing Round 7. The theme was quotations from Dumbledore, which made for interesting challenges. I usually used every word the word limit allowed. As it happens, these are all G rated. One has an established relationship, one may be pre-slash, and two are Hogwarts era canon scenes from Draco's point of view.
Week 1 prompt: "Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike."
(Although Harry suffered more neglect, I felt the Dursleys did actively dislike him, so I wrote about Draco in this.)
Title: Father’s Son
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Word Count: 320
“I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or plunderer, Borgin…. Though if his grades don’t pick up, that may indeed be all he is fit for.”
Draco flushed. Was it his fault the teachers favored Granger?
His father’s voice was cold and brittle as an icicle snapping. “I would have thought you’d be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam.”
Stung, Draco groped for a response, but by now his father had turned away to negotiate with Borgin over the articles from home that he wanted to sell. Draco turned blindly back to the shop’s dusty displays.
Father had a formidable collection of dark artefacts, but it was Draco who had the knack of magical work on objects. His father dismissed it as tradesman’s tinkering. What Father really collected was influence - well-calculated flattery, a favor here, a threat there, a discreet bribe, an ostentatious donation, a strategic loophole.
“Not prudent to appear less than fond of Harry Potter,” he had reprimanded Draco. As if Potter hadn’t left Draco standing there like a fool with his hand stuck out.
The withered hand lay on the shop shelf in front of him. Hand of Glory, Borgin had said, gives light only to the holder.
An opal necklace glowed nearby. “Cursed… claimed lives of nineteen Muggles” said the label. It, too, called to him.
And the great black cabinet, big enough for a person to stand in. Did Draco hear something inside? He reached for the handle.
“Come, Draco,” his father said, so Draco had to go.
But he turned back to look on his way out. A feeling came over him that the cabinet held a secret to his future. In the dimness of the shop, the opals gleamed, and the shriveled hand seemed to beckon him to return.
Someday, Draco vowed. Someday he’d show Harry Potter. Someday he’d make Father proud.
Week 2 prompt:"Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."
Title: Unspeak, Speak, Oddment, Tweak
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Word Count: 375
They were supposed to ‘talk to heal the wounds of the past’. Harry faced Draco Malfoy. Reconciliation? Not likely. He crossed his arms. “Any suggestions on where to begin, Malfoy?”
Malfoy arched an eyebrow. “Obliviate?”
Harry snorted. That might give the best chance of success. “How far back would you go?”
“First year, train to Hogwarts. You rejected my hand before I ever insulted you, Potter.”
“And why do you think that was?”
Malfoy paused. “Ah. Weasley. So I’d have to un-sneer at the Weasleys to get off on a good footing?”
“Go even earlier. Hagrid is the one who welcomed me into the Wizarding world. You called him a savage, when we were getting fitted in Madam Malkin’s.”
Malfoy stared. “I’d forgotten that.” He shook his head. “Doomed from the start, then. To think my father hoped I’d make an ally of you.”
Just as well Draco had so obviously been a prat back then, Harry thought. Imagine if they’d become friends and Harry’d spent holidays at the Manor instead of the Burrow. A child in Lucius Malfoy’s orbit. He shuddered.
“Alright,” Malfoy said. “For your sake I un-sneer at Hagrid, and that hippogriff of his, and Granger and family. Who else…. Longbottom, Lupin. Satisfied?”
It was a good list. Still… “What, you’re not going to un-sneer at me?” Harry said.
“Oh, you never seemed to care what I said about you.” Malfoy half-smiled. “But are there no words you want to take back, perfect Potter?”
Harry’s own reluctant smile vanished. His throat went dry. “Sectumsempra.”
Malfoy flinched.
“I’d have uncursed you if I could,” Harry said quietly. “I never meant to do that. And you’re right, I didn’t much care what you said about me, except to Rita Skeeter. When I was a prisoner in your house - what you didn’t say saved my life.”
After a moment Malfoy remarked, “With all the unsaying we’re accomplishing today, the Unspeakables should recruit us.”
“Yeah. Anything you do want to say, Malfoy?”
“Truce?”
They shook hands.
“Like to say a few words yourself, Potter?”
Dumbledore’s long-ago speech floated irresistibly from Harry’s mouth. “Nitwit! Blubber!”
Malfoy frowned.
“Oddment!”
The frown eased. “Tweak! You’re the oddment, Potter.”
“Hey!”
“What?” Draco smiled charmingly, shrugged. “I do tease my friends.”
Week 3 prompt: "One can never have enough socks."
My drabble was voted "most favorite" this week! :D
Title: 'Tis the Gift to Be Simple
Rating: G
Warnings: some film rather than book canon
Word Count: 140
Moving in together meant sorting and packing, and since Harry was organizationally challenged, Draco had come over to help.
“Hole in the toe and threadbare heel - I think you can get rid of this one,” Draco said, holding up a lone sock.
“No!” Harry looked alarmed.
“But look at it.”
“One can never have enough socks,” Harry said.
“I’m all for expanding your wardrobe, but… Do you even know where the mate to this is?”
“Yes,” Harry said.
Draco waited.
“It’s on a beach. Buried in the sand.” Harry clammed up again.
“Harry…”
“With Dobby.”
Dobby.
You really did free us all, Harry, Draco thought. And you started by defeating my father with a tatty old sock.
He tucked the sock tenderly into Harry’s trunk. Then he put his arms around his odd, disheveled, grieving, loving, heroic and humble lover.
Week 4 prompt: "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."
(This is the round where I was eliminated, alas. The whole thing was a great experience though, with interesting prompts and a lot of strong writers.)
Title: Dividing Line
Rating: G
Warnings: none except canonical angst
Word Count: 160
We are only as strong as we are united
Who is “we”?
The first time, Draco found it clear. “We” meant families who’d followed the Dark Lord, uniting to glory in his returning strength.
Then that nightmare strength savaged Draco’s family, trapped him in a spiral of torture.
Now the three schoolmates he hated most stand in his drawing room, Snatched up, werewolf’s prey. Trembling, but unquestionably united. Granger must’ve disguised Potter with that grotesque big head, as if stung by a hundred hornets. Which would be nothing to the pain once the Dark Lord has him.
If we are the ones to hand him over, all will be forgiven.
Potter will be dead. Like Cedric.
Who’ll be the real Hogwarts champion?
Potter stinks of fear.
Draco... you are not a killer….
Father presses him again to identify Potter.
Only as weak as we are divided
Bellatrix always says he’s weak. Maybe so.
“I don’t know,” Draco says, walks away.
Week 1 prompt: "Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike."
(Although Harry suffered more neglect, I felt the Dursleys did actively dislike him, so I wrote about Draco in this.)
Title: Father’s Son
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Word Count: 320
“I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or plunderer, Borgin…. Though if his grades don’t pick up, that may indeed be all he is fit for.”
Draco flushed. Was it his fault the teachers favored Granger?
His father’s voice was cold and brittle as an icicle snapping. “I would have thought you’d be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam.”
Stung, Draco groped for a response, but by now his father had turned away to negotiate with Borgin over the articles from home that he wanted to sell. Draco turned blindly back to the shop’s dusty displays.
Father had a formidable collection of dark artefacts, but it was Draco who had the knack of magical work on objects. His father dismissed it as tradesman’s tinkering. What Father really collected was influence - well-calculated flattery, a favor here, a threat there, a discreet bribe, an ostentatious donation, a strategic loophole.
“Not prudent to appear less than fond of Harry Potter,” he had reprimanded Draco. As if Potter hadn’t left Draco standing there like a fool with his hand stuck out.
The withered hand lay on the shop shelf in front of him. Hand of Glory, Borgin had said, gives light only to the holder.
An opal necklace glowed nearby. “Cursed… claimed lives of nineteen Muggles” said the label. It, too, called to him.
And the great black cabinet, big enough for a person to stand in. Did Draco hear something inside? He reached for the handle.
“Come, Draco,” his father said, so Draco had to go.
But he turned back to look on his way out. A feeling came over him that the cabinet held a secret to his future. In the dimness of the shop, the opals gleamed, and the shriveled hand seemed to beckon him to return.
Someday, Draco vowed. Someday he’d show Harry Potter. Someday he’d make Father proud.
Week 2 prompt:"Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."
Title: Unspeak, Speak, Oddment, Tweak
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Word Count: 375
They were supposed to ‘talk to heal the wounds of the past’. Harry faced Draco Malfoy. Reconciliation? Not likely. He crossed his arms. “Any suggestions on where to begin, Malfoy?”
Malfoy arched an eyebrow. “Obliviate?”
Harry snorted. That might give the best chance of success. “How far back would you go?”
“First year, train to Hogwarts. You rejected my hand before I ever insulted you, Potter.”
“And why do you think that was?”
Malfoy paused. “Ah. Weasley. So I’d have to un-sneer at the Weasleys to get off on a good footing?”
“Go even earlier. Hagrid is the one who welcomed me into the Wizarding world. You called him a savage, when we were getting fitted in Madam Malkin’s.”
Malfoy stared. “I’d forgotten that.” He shook his head. “Doomed from the start, then. To think my father hoped I’d make an ally of you.”
Just as well Draco had so obviously been a prat back then, Harry thought. Imagine if they’d become friends and Harry’d spent holidays at the Manor instead of the Burrow. A child in Lucius Malfoy’s orbit. He shuddered.
“Alright,” Malfoy said. “For your sake I un-sneer at Hagrid, and that hippogriff of his, and Granger and family. Who else…. Longbottom, Lupin. Satisfied?”
It was a good list. Still… “What, you’re not going to un-sneer at me?” Harry said.
“Oh, you never seemed to care what I said about you.” Malfoy half-smiled. “But are there no words you want to take back, perfect Potter?”
Harry’s own reluctant smile vanished. His throat went dry. “Sectumsempra.”
Malfoy flinched.
“I’d have uncursed you if I could,” Harry said quietly. “I never meant to do that. And you’re right, I didn’t much care what you said about me, except to Rita Skeeter. When I was a prisoner in your house - what you didn’t say saved my life.”
After a moment Malfoy remarked, “With all the unsaying we’re accomplishing today, the Unspeakables should recruit us.”
“Yeah. Anything you do want to say, Malfoy?”
“Truce?”
They shook hands.
“Like to say a few words yourself, Potter?”
Dumbledore’s long-ago speech floated irresistibly from Harry’s mouth. “Nitwit! Blubber!”
Malfoy frowned.
“Oddment!”
The frown eased. “Tweak! You’re the oddment, Potter.”
“Hey!”
“What?” Draco smiled charmingly, shrugged. “I do tease my friends.”
Week 3 prompt: "One can never have enough socks."
My drabble was voted "most favorite" this week! :D
Title: 'Tis the Gift to Be Simple
Rating: G
Warnings: some film rather than book canon
Word Count: 140
Moving in together meant sorting and packing, and since Harry was organizationally challenged, Draco had come over to help.
“Hole in the toe and threadbare heel - I think you can get rid of this one,” Draco said, holding up a lone sock.
“No!” Harry looked alarmed.
“But look at it.”
“One can never have enough socks,” Harry said.
“I’m all for expanding your wardrobe, but… Do you even know where the mate to this is?”
“Yes,” Harry said.
Draco waited.
“It’s on a beach. Buried in the sand.” Harry clammed up again.
“Harry…”
“With Dobby.”
Dobby.
You really did free us all, Harry, Draco thought. And you started by defeating my father with a tatty old sock.
He tucked the sock tenderly into Harry’s trunk. Then he put his arms around his odd, disheveled, grieving, loving, heroic and humble lover.
Week 4 prompt: "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."
(This is the round where I was eliminated, alas. The whole thing was a great experience though, with interesting prompts and a lot of strong writers.)
Title: Dividing Line
Rating: G
Warnings: none except canonical angst
Word Count: 160
We are only as strong as we are united
Who is “we”?
The first time, Draco found it clear. “We” meant families who’d followed the Dark Lord, uniting to glory in his returning strength.
Then that nightmare strength savaged Draco’s family, trapped him in a spiral of torture.
Now the three schoolmates he hated most stand in his drawing room, Snatched up, werewolf’s prey. Trembling, but unquestionably united. Granger must’ve disguised Potter with that grotesque big head, as if stung by a hundred hornets. Which would be nothing to the pain once the Dark Lord has him.
If we are the ones to hand him over, all will be forgiven.
Potter will be dead. Like Cedric.
Who’ll be the real Hogwarts champion?
Potter stinks of fear.
Draco... you are not a killer….
Father presses him again to identify Potter.
Only as weak as we are divided
Bellatrix always says he’s weak. Maybe so.
“I don’t know,” Draco says, walks away.