HarryDraco Storyroom (original) (raw)

Title: Such Great Heights
Rating: Explicit
Author:softlyforgotten
Word Count: 93312
Warnings: Warning for character death (minor, but important to a main character; see end of work for more clarification), nods towards PTSD for a range of characters, and teenage boys saying dumb things about bisexuality.
Summary: Nearly a year after the war ended, Harry is somewhat confused about who and what he really wants. And then he happens on Draco and a certain dragon. Not epilogue compliant.

Why I loved it: There is an enormous intensity in Draco's and Harry's feelings. They have to work through a lot of emotional baggage, difficult relations with their respective friends and family, politics and their own expectations (or lack thereof). It is one of these things you can`t put down.
And - bonus - it is part of a series, even if the second part, Scenes from a life, was a bit too much Fluff for my taste.

Excerpt: Harry looked back at the dragon. After a moment, he reached out with a delicate finger and touched one cold scale. It felt rougher, more interesting now that he wasn’t clinging to her in desperation, trying to escape.

“Does she have a name?” he asked.

“I’ve been talking to her for ten minutes, Potter,” Draco said, annoyed.

“I - what? Wait, Monster?” Harry said. “You called her Monster? Didn’t Buckbeak teach you anything?”

“Dragons are much more intelligent than hippogriffs,” Draco said stiffly, “and I think Buckbeak was a particularly stupid hippogriff. Monster understands my wit.”

“There’s something so wrong with you,” Harry told him, and Draco shrugged and looked away. The dragon made a rough noise that startled Harry, made him grab for his wand, but Draco reached out absently and took hold of his wrist, stopping him.

“It’s fine,” he said. “She snores.”

“Oh,” Harry said, and laughed, a bit, because this whole night was surreal.

Draco wasn’t laughing. He breathed out and looked down and said, “If I come quietly, will you - will you leave my parents alone?”

“I can’t imagine your mum would let that happen,” Harry said automatically. He thought briefly of Narcissa, and the forest. Then he stopped.

Draco swallowed hard. “Right,” he said. “Right. I - my mum won’t come quietly, you, you have to tell your - the aurors not to - promise me you won’t hurt her. Please.”

Harry stared at him, disbelieving, Draco Malfoy shaking like a leaf and still trying to demand obedience. After a moment he said, “I haven’t called any aurors, Malfoy.”

“I don’t quite think you can take my mum down on your own,” Draco said, eyes darting up. “Don’t get me wrong, I know you’re the saviour of the wizarding world and slayer of the Dark Lord and all, but -- my mum’s--”

“I know your mum,” Harry said. That coldness curled in his gut again. “I just mean - I’m not calling any aurors, Malfoy. I don’t care about you or your parents. You can do what you want, as long as you don’t hurt anyone else.”