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rarepair_shorts2009-07-29 08:34 pm
dark-branwen.livejournal.com) wrote in rarepair_shorts2009-07-29 08:34 pm
Entry tags:
FICLET: the dragon in the glass cage (Draco/Luna)
Title: the dragon in the glass cage
Pairing: Draco/Luna
Prompt: invisble line
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,081
Summary: Draco contemplates his ostracism in the wizarding world just as someone decides it's time to fix that.
Author's Notes: First time posting, and while I put on the character and pairing type tags, I left off the user to be sure I didn't screw anything up. I apologize if Luna seems a little too normal here. I promise in the next installment, she'll be far more whimsical. XD
Link to Prompt Table: The Table
There is an invisible line drawn between him and the rest of the world. An unseen border that will not, or cannot, be crossed by those who believe in goodness and light and perhaps a Christian god with crown of blood and thorns. He is anathema to all things righteous.
His very shadow is a poison, and children whisper to their little sisters and brothers that letting it the darkness fall over even a toe will send them scattering into eternal darkness with no one but nameless specter of a Dark Lord for company.
He is so scorned that it really doesn’t matter if he does or does not have a Dark Mark. He is Lucius Malfoy’s son. He let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. He is the reason Bill Weasley’s face was ruined. And regardless of Albus Dumbledore’s questionable health when Snape sent him tumbling over the battlements, he knows that there are more than a fair few who whisper, “Murderer,” at his retreating back, nevermind that he was lowering the damn wand.
Draco is never more aware of his imposed otherness than at social functions. He may be a pariah, but it does not preclude him from taking part in these politely drunken rituals. He has to rebuild the Malfoy wealth as well as the Malfoy reputation, for his mother’s sake if not for his own. He has to show his face in public and remind people that the Ministry let him go, that they cleared him of any wrong-doing. He has to show them that even if he made some mistakes, that he has grown far and away from that confused, terrified – and yes, he admits that openly – stupid teenager who mended a vanishing cabinet to release the wolves.
Besides, part of him enjoys watching each and every party guest skirt around him, as if catching a whiff of his expensive cologne may cause them to drop dead on the spot.
“Hello, Draco Malfoy.”
Well, almost everyone it seems.
He turns and is surprised – indeed flabbergasted might be a better term – to find that someone is talking to him without the scowl poised to fling accusations. He instead sees sparkling crimson lips curled into an effortless, serene smile with a pair of hazy grey eyes hovering above. He doesn’t recognize her at first, but it comes rushing back to him with a dim kind of horror that the last time he really looked at her, she was locked up in his cellar.
“Lo—Luna Lovegood,” he corrects. He has no idea what to say to her. ‘Sorry about the kidnapping’ seems inappropriate.
“You’re surprised to see me,” she says, her voice a ghostly whisper. He glances down at her robes – dove grey silk skirts that are a far cry from the spangled dress robes she wore for the Slug Club Christmas party. He wonders if someone with more fashion sense finally gave her a good shake and made her take advantage of that loveliness hidden behind homemade radish earrings.
“I’m a bit surprised you’re not slapping me across the face,” Draco drawled. It was always best for him to revert to innocuous sarcasm. No one ever believed his politeness, and they could not abide his most cutting remarks. But a little darkness they could tolerate, though they constantly reassured themselves that still more lurked beneath the well-coiffed surface.
She continued smiling at him, a reminder of why they had called her Loony. “Oh, I don’t think much about those few months. Please don’t feel awkward. I know it wasn’t your fault.”
Amazing, how she brushed away 90 days of imprisonment so blithely. More amazing that she called him blameless, and though he knew he had done nothing to put her there, he also had done nothing to help her. He was no Gryffindor; it would have made no sense for him to go riding to her rescue. But everyone looked at him as though he should have done.
The wizarding world had no use for cowards or conscientious objectors. This was the world of Harry Potter. And in Harry Potter’s world, all they wanted were avengers on white horses carrying a flaming sword.
“I thought you looked lonely,” she said, her bright voice penetrating his dark mood.
He snorted with just the right hint of derision and aristocratic humor. “I am not what one would call especially popular.”
She nodded. “Because your father killed people.”
“And because I tried to kill people.”
She shrugged as if this were of no consequence. “You were seventeen. What did you know?”
“You’re surprisingly forgiving.” He sensed a plot. Luna may have seemed guileless, but he would have been foolish to forget she was a Ravenclaw.
She sensed his suspicion and laughed in his face. Not cruelly. There was a musical lilt that left part of him longing to hear her sing. “I’m not really suited for espionage, Draco. I’m too honest.”
Yes, Luna had lost much of her dreamy nonsensical ramblings, but she was still blunt to a fault. It was, after all, not polite to bring up that one’s father was a convicted murderer.
“Why did you come here then?” Draco muttered with a flash of bitterness. “To remind me that not all sins belong to the father?”
She may have looked at him with pity, but it was impossible to tell with her. “I told you why I came.”
“Because I looked lonely,” he sneered. “Forgive me, but I don’t see why I’m so deserving of your charity.”
Something brushed against his skin like an angel feather. He blinked and nearly recoiled when he realized she was touching his cheek. Stupidly, he expected it to burn, but it was a cool as a pebble pulled from a glittering river.
“I believe in forgiveness, Draco Malfoy,” she murmured, his voice winding through him like a silk ribbon carrying an unbreakable promise. “Especially for those who acted out of fear and love, not malicious intent.
“There’s a glass cage surrounding you, Draco,” Luna whispered, pulling away. “It’s time someone had the sense to break it.”
She left him without another word, silks rustling together as she vanished into the crowd. He waited all of three seconds before bursting from his place, nearly sprinting towards the balcony and gulping down the fresh air he found there as if he had nearly drowned.
What Luna saw as a cage, Draco saw as a boundary.
And finally-finally-finally, someone had cared enough to cross it.
Pairing: Draco/Luna
Prompt: invisble line
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,081
Summary: Draco contemplates his ostracism in the wizarding world just as someone decides it's time to fix that.
Author's Notes: First time posting, and while I put on the character and pairing type tags, I left off the user to be sure I didn't screw anything up. I apologize if Luna seems a little too normal here. I promise in the next installment, she'll be far more whimsical. XD
Link to Prompt Table: The Table
There is an invisible line drawn between him and the rest of the world. An unseen border that will not, or cannot, be crossed by those who believe in goodness and light and perhaps a Christian god with crown of blood and thorns. He is anathema to all things righteous.
His very shadow is a poison, and children whisper to their little sisters and brothers that letting it the darkness fall over even a toe will send them scattering into eternal darkness with no one but nameless specter of a Dark Lord for company.
He is so scorned that it really doesn’t matter if he does or does not have a Dark Mark. He is Lucius Malfoy’s son. He let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. He is the reason Bill Weasley’s face was ruined. And regardless of Albus Dumbledore’s questionable health when Snape sent him tumbling over the battlements, he knows that there are more than a fair few who whisper, “Murderer,” at his retreating back, nevermind that he was lowering the damn wand.
Draco is never more aware of his imposed otherness than at social functions. He may be a pariah, but it does not preclude him from taking part in these politely drunken rituals. He has to rebuild the Malfoy wealth as well as the Malfoy reputation, for his mother’s sake if not for his own. He has to show his face in public and remind people that the Ministry let him go, that they cleared him of any wrong-doing. He has to show them that even if he made some mistakes, that he has grown far and away from that confused, terrified – and yes, he admits that openly – stupid teenager who mended a vanishing cabinet to release the wolves.
Besides, part of him enjoys watching each and every party guest skirt around him, as if catching a whiff of his expensive cologne may cause them to drop dead on the spot.
“Hello, Draco Malfoy.”
Well, almost everyone it seems.
He turns and is surprised – indeed flabbergasted might be a better term – to find that someone is talking to him without the scowl poised to fling accusations. He instead sees sparkling crimson lips curled into an effortless, serene smile with a pair of hazy grey eyes hovering above. He doesn’t recognize her at first, but it comes rushing back to him with a dim kind of horror that the last time he really looked at her, she was locked up in his cellar.
“Lo—Luna Lovegood,” he corrects. He has no idea what to say to her. ‘Sorry about the kidnapping’ seems inappropriate.
“You’re surprised to see me,” she says, her voice a ghostly whisper. He glances down at her robes – dove grey silk skirts that are a far cry from the spangled dress robes she wore for the Slug Club Christmas party. He wonders if someone with more fashion sense finally gave her a good shake and made her take advantage of that loveliness hidden behind homemade radish earrings.
“I’m a bit surprised you’re not slapping me across the face,” Draco drawled. It was always best for him to revert to innocuous sarcasm. No one ever believed his politeness, and they could not abide his most cutting remarks. But a little darkness they could tolerate, though they constantly reassured themselves that still more lurked beneath the well-coiffed surface.
She continued smiling at him, a reminder of why they had called her Loony. “Oh, I don’t think much about those few months. Please don’t feel awkward. I know it wasn’t your fault.”
Amazing, how she brushed away 90 days of imprisonment so blithely. More amazing that she called him blameless, and though he knew he had done nothing to put her there, he also had done nothing to help her. He was no Gryffindor; it would have made no sense for him to go riding to her rescue. But everyone looked at him as though he should have done.
The wizarding world had no use for cowards or conscientious objectors. This was the world of Harry Potter. And in Harry Potter’s world, all they wanted were avengers on white horses carrying a flaming sword.
“I thought you looked lonely,” she said, her bright voice penetrating his dark mood.
He snorted with just the right hint of derision and aristocratic humor. “I am not what one would call especially popular.”
She nodded. “Because your father killed people.”
“And because I tried to kill people.”
She shrugged as if this were of no consequence. “You were seventeen. What did you know?”
“You’re surprisingly forgiving.” He sensed a plot. Luna may have seemed guileless, but he would have been foolish to forget she was a Ravenclaw.
She sensed his suspicion and laughed in his face. Not cruelly. There was a musical lilt that left part of him longing to hear her sing. “I’m not really suited for espionage, Draco. I’m too honest.”
Yes, Luna had lost much of her dreamy nonsensical ramblings, but she was still blunt to a fault. It was, after all, not polite to bring up that one’s father was a convicted murderer.
“Why did you come here then?” Draco muttered with a flash of bitterness. “To remind me that not all sins belong to the father?”
She may have looked at him with pity, but it was impossible to tell with her. “I told you why I came.”
“Because I looked lonely,” he sneered. “Forgive me, but I don’t see why I’m so deserving of your charity.”
Something brushed against his skin like an angel feather. He blinked and nearly recoiled when he realized she was touching his cheek. Stupidly, he expected it to burn, but it was a cool as a pebble pulled from a glittering river.
“I believe in forgiveness, Draco Malfoy,” she murmured, his voice winding through him like a silk ribbon carrying an unbreakable promise. “Especially for those who acted out of fear and love, not malicious intent.
“There’s a glass cage surrounding you, Draco,” Luna whispered, pulling away. “It’s time someone had the sense to break it.”
She left him without another word, silks rustling together as she vanished into the crowd. He waited all of three seconds before bursting from his place, nearly sprinting towards the balcony and gulping down the fresh air he found there as if he had nearly drowned.
What Luna saw as a cage, Draco saw as a boundary.
And finally-finally-finally, someone had cared enough to cross it.
no subject
I look forward to seeing what else you do with this couple.
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Luna's very insightful here, and well done. A reminder to all of us that not all of the good qualities are limited to Gryffindor or Hufflepuff (though I doubt anyone thinks that).
I also like Draco's perspective. It might be slightly biased, but it's honest.
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I do love Luna's insightfulness. I think being an outsider so much left her with little do but people watch, which in turn left her to be more perceptive than people would like.
Well, Draco's always biased in favor of himself. ^.~ Part of the reason why I love writing him.
Thanks very much for your comment!
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I feel that both people were perfectly in character the entire time, and I feel that Malfoy's commentary on the wizarding world and how people perceived him as fitting.
I love the interaction between them, as well.
I honestly thought that line was hilarious. It was probably my favorite.
Can't wait to see the rest of your works!
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One of my favorite things to do in fanfiction is work out how characters view the wizarding world whether it be the society at large or musing on the four houses or something entirely different. I don't know if they'd actually wax philosophical on those things as much as I make them do, but I think it's fun.
Hee, I did think that was a cute line. Every fic needs a little humor to balance against the angst in my opinion. :D Hope you like the next 12 as much as you liked this one!
(Also, is that your hair in the picture? If so, I feel the need to mention that my hair is currently purple. xD)
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I'm sure I will LOVE the next twelve fics. :)
And yes, that's my hair! It's starting to fade to green now. I think purple hair is awesome! I bet it looks really cool :)
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Looking forward to your lovely comments then! :D
It did, but it's starting to fade to grey now. It's been hot pink and blue, but I think I'll have to dye it back to brown pretty soon. The up-keep's waaaaay too expensive.
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I enjoy how Luna has matured in this, but how she still remains Luna all the same.
And that was just gorgeous.
I can't wait to see what else you do with this. ^_^
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I'm glad she still feels like Luna. Writing a maturing Luna is always difficult for me because I never know quite where to place her. I hope working on these fics will help me feel her out a bit more so I'm more sure-footed.
Yay, I'm happy you liked that line! I have a tendency to default to nature in metaphors, and I'm always pleased when I come up with something else. ^^;
Well, I hope you continue to like the other ficlets! Thanks again!
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I don't have any other Draco/Luna stuff available yet, but once it is, I'll be a total whore and pimp it everywhere, so I'm sure you'll see it. xD
Thanks again!
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(Love your icon btw. That was one of my favorite parts of the movie.)
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And I have to admit, when I saw the pairings I thought this was a crossover and that Luna was the cat from Sailor Moon XD
no subject
I love the way you wrote draco. Great fic.