sassy_cissa (sassy_cissa) wrote in slythindor100, @ 2007-01-08 14:40:00 |
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Entry tags: | monday-fun ll |
Monday Fun, don't you think?
Original poster: faith1922
Title: Old and New
Words: 902
Prompt: Answer to my Monday prompt, Out with the old, in with the new.
A/N: I went and got all sappy. Bwah. Must shower, NOW.
Harry hated New Year’s Eve. It always meant that something was about to end, that reflection was expected. Harry wasn’t good at reflecting. He jumped into things head first, tried not to get people killed and then fought to forget whatever nightmarish visions burned themselves into his brains despite his best efforts. Draco said Harry was made for war. Or rather, “A creature built for the swift and efficient annihilation of the enemy.”
He hated the way Draco said it, with his slow drawl and arrogant smirk, but he had to acknowledge the truth of the statement. Without war Harry wouldn’t know what to do with his life. And so war was what he did all year long. And then New Year’s Eve came and he had to remember every single time he’d lifted his wand or dagger in the previous 365 days. Denial only gets a man so far and time never really cures the wounds of war.
He downed the last of his firewhiskey, wistfully looking down at muggle London form the balcony of Hermione’s apartment and smashed the glass against the nearest wall. In doing so he almost hit Draco, who stood in the balcony door, watching, his own glass dangling elegantly from his left hand.
“I think Granger would appreciate it if you refrained from destroying her dishes in the future. For some obscure reason she likes them.”
The Boy-who-lived closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting Draco’s arrogance and snootiness wash over him. Somewhere along the line it had turned into something comforting and familiar. The aristocratic drawl was one of the few things he had left that never failed to pull him back from whatever dark road his mind was travelling. It was like Hermione’s droning lectures and Blaise’s sharp sarcasm. It never changed, a constant in a world that moved like a maelstrom, constantly changing.
Draco leaned against the railing beside him, far enough to leave Harry his room, close enough to offer comfort if the Gryffindor chose to seek it. He did. He leaned his head against the blonde’s shoulder lightly and mumbled, “I hate this day.”
The Slytherin put away his glass and wrapped one arm loosely around the other man’s waist. It was as close to showing affection as he ever got outside their own four walls.
“Yes, I know what you mean. All the celebrations and happiness, the alcohol and the lights, getting together with friends, it must be terrible for you.”
Harry suppressed the urge to move away from his lover’s sharp tongue because he knew it was Draco’s way of asking why he hated this day. He never would show his concern directly.
“It’s an end,“ He explained, pulling the arm around him a bit tighter, “there are too many endings in my life already and I hate them.”
“You’re an idiot, Potter.”
“I am?”
“Yes,“ Draco hissed, taking a languid sip of his firewhiskey before placing the glass beside him once more, “You are an idiot. Why do you think today is called New Year’s eve? Right, it’s called that because it’s not an ending, Potter you moron, it’s a beginning. There’s a new year coming and the chance to do better than before. Not that there is much room for improvement if you’re me, but today is a good day!”
Harry chuckled despite himself before pointing out, “But today is still the day that this year ends. It is and end and we’ve established that I hate those.”
It reminded him too much of all the dead. His lover, however seemed to think different as he grabbed his shoulders and tore him around, forcing the smaller man to look him in the eye. Once he was sure that he had his boyfriend’s full attention Draco spoke, “Out with the old, in with the new, that’s what Granger said at dinner, isn’t it? Do you remember the day Thomas died?”
“Of course I do,” Harry snapped. This was what all this was about after all, death. The deaths of too many people that didn’t seem to end. He was twenty four and there was no end it sight.
“The day we lost him, what happened then? How did people react?”
The Gryffindor didn’t see a point in answering. People had reacted the same way they always did, tears, cries of rage, stoic silence. Draco knew that.
“Lavender went into labour three weeks early, remember? The day Thomas died, Brown gave birth to his spawn and she called the poor sod Deana of all things!”
Harry still didn’t see the point. Dean’s daughter would never meet her father. There was nothing good in that. Draco shook him suddenly, hard enough to make his teeth ache.
“Thomas died and his daughter was born. Something ended and something began. Something always has to end for something new to begin. There would never be a new year if the old one did not end. It’s the way life is, Harry. I thought you of all people would understand that.”
They stayed like this a long time, staring at each other, Draco angry, Harry contemplative until, finally, the brunette gave a minute nod of the head.
“I do,” he said.
“Good, then let’s get inside. It’s almost midnight.”
“One second,” Harry asked, untangling himself from his lover and pointing his wand at the pieces of glass strewn all over the ground. A second later he followed Draco inside, repaired glass in hand. It was as good as new.
For next week I tag…..enchanted_jae, mostly because I don’t have the web access right now to check who else I could pick. Your prompt is bad hair day and to make it a bit less obvious, Draco must not be the one suffering from terrible hair.
Other than that, I’m resigning from the Monday Fun. I’m graduating in four months and I barely get to read my flist as it is. I’ll also open this Comm up for everyone to post challenges. Sorry bout that. The alternative would be for someone else to take over? Yeah, didn’t think so.
So this is goodbye then, at least until June. Stay pretty, boys and girls.