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More Than Words (H/D, PG)
This is the second of ten gift ficlets (though this one goes a bit long) for my cabin-mates at Wrockstock. Enjoy!
Title: More Than Words
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sesheta_66
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~ 1700
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco (pre-slash), Ron, McGonagall.
Giftee: Formijan in honour of her inability to write drabble-length fics. It also fits my GJ 100_prompts table #080 - "Thanks."
Summary: Harry has trouble finding the words to express his thanks.
Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country. The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
If you missed the first one, see Fun Socks.
A smirk, strange as it may sound, gave him all the courage he needed.
Harry had been harbouring feelings for Malfoy … Draco, ever since the war.
At first he had been surprised - more like shocked - at his reaction to having the blonde clutching him when they were escaping the Fiendfyre. He had thought it was merely an adrenaline rush or something that had caused his body to respond in that way. Then when he had hexed the Death Eater and saw Draco's smile, his stomach had done a flip. He dismissed that to being a reaction to seeing a smile amidst the horror of battle.
Soon, however, the dreams started. He kept reliving the moments from the battle, yes, but he also saw flashes from the past. And every time he had one of those dreams, he awoke with the vision of a familiar blonde wearing a smirk. Only the smirk didn't seem so annoying anymore.
Months had gone by when Harry received an invitation from Headmistress McGonagall. They were having a party to celebrate the grand reopening of the school. Having been busy volunteering at St. Mungo's, Harry hadn't known that the school was ready to open its doors again. Not knowing if he was planning to attend for his missed seventh year, but wanting to see the castle again in its glory, as well as to support McGonagall, Harry owled her that he would be there.
As he and Ron entered the Great Hall, Harry instinctively scanned the room, starting from the area where the Slytherin table used to sit. It wasn't long before he saw the familiar shock of blonde hair. Ron noticed a few moments later.
"What's he doing here?" he asked.
"I imagine he was invited, Ron," Harry replied, not in the mood to listen to a Malfoy-bashing rant.
"Well … yeah … he probably was, but who would have the gall to show up here after everything that's happened?"
"Apparently he would."
"Well, obviously. But --"
"Leave it, Ron. We've been through this before. You need to let it go and move on. The war is over. Draco suffered too. Let's just --"
"Draco? When did he stop being Malfoy?"
"Since I started thinking of him as a fellow survivor, a fellow target of Voldemort's wrath."
Ron scowled but didn't continue to debate the matter. "Suit yourself. He's still Malfoy to me."
"Fair enough. Just … just stop bad-mouthing him, yeah? It's getting old."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Ron conceded.
About half an hour later, Ron nudged Harry in the ribs. "You can stop staring now."
"What?"
"Malfoy," he said, as if that explained everything. At Harry's confused look, he continued. "You've been staring at him off and on all night."
"I have not!" Harry said incredulously.
"Relax, mate. It looks like he's just as interested in you as you are in him." Again Harry gave his traditionally bewildered look of incomprehension. "He's been staring at you whenever you weren't staring at him."
"I wasn’t staring," Harry grumbled.
"Whatever you say," Ron replied, rolling his eyes in the process.
The evening's festivities went on as expected, until McGonagall got up to speak. She proceeded to welcome everyone to the school, then asked them to be seated. Once the crowd settled down, she began.
"Thank you everyone for being here this evening. It was with a sad heart that we closed our doors after the last battle. The castle had been greatly damaged by the war, and we weren't sure whether or not we would reopen - this year or indeed ever. It is, therefore, my great pleasure to be able to announce not only that the repairs are complete, but that they have been completed ahead of schedule. The new school year will commence two weeks from today.
"This momentous accomplishment would not have been possible were it not for a group of dedicated volunteers. These people worked tirelessly, often late into the night, to help rebuild from the ruins of war. They have been recommended to the Ministry of Magic for recognition of service, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their efforts." The room burst into applause. She called their names, and one by one they went up to the podium to accept a scroll from the Headmistress before resuming their seats.
"And now I would like to extend a special thanks to someone who used his own considerable resources to fund much of the effort involved in the rebuilding. He contributed financially, but more than that, he donated his time and used his connections to ensure experts in each of the necessary fields were at our disposal. At this time I would like to ask Mr. Draco Malfoy to come up to the front and address you all." Ron and Harry looked at each other in stunned silence.
Eventually, Ron found his voice. "What's that about?"
"Dunno," Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders and watching Draco move to the front of the room.
He got up on stage and took a moment to look around at the crowd gathered before him. When his eyes met Harry's, he grinned and his eyes seemed to come to life. Harry's stomach lurched. What was that about? He gave a brief nod, and Draco turned to address the crowd.
"First, I would like to echo Headmistress McGonagall's sentiment. The sheer number of people willing to give of themselves in order to see this day arrive as quickly as possible was incredible. Through their efforts, we are able to be here today, ready to open the doors of this fine institution to current and future generations of students. Hopefully there will never again be a time when war is brought to the doors of Hogwarts." Harry wasn't sure, but it seemed a look of sadness and regret passed over Draco's face as he said those words. "But let us not forget. There were many lives lost, and we should honour them.
"As one part of the renovations, I had requested that we erect a memorial on the grounds, a way to ensure that we never forget those who lost their lives in the many battles against Lord Voldemort. I direct your attention to the rear of the school, where you will see a new wing. This will serve as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts wing, where the subject will be taught, but also where the dead are honoured. Please take the time to tour that area of the school and pay your respects before you leave today. Thank you."
As they made their way over to the new wing, Ron complained. "He probably insisted that it be named the Malfoy Wing." Harry found himself not caring, his head still spinning from the realization that Draco had contributed so much to the rebuilding of the school.
"So what if he did?" Harry snapped. Ron gaped at him in shock. "I mean really, Ron. His family's name is mud everywhere now, thanks to Lucius. Who cares if he wants it named after his family? If he did contribute so much --"
"Money! It's always about money, isn't it?"
Harry let out an exasperated sigh. "No, Ron. Didn't you hear McGonagall? He contributed money and time. He used family connections to get the best workers. He contributed something invaluable in a memorial. So what if that goes a little way to redeem his name, and --"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He was staring at the entrance to the Albus Dumbledore School of Defence. A plaque on the wall as they entered read, "Dedicated to the Memory of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Head of the Order of the Phoenix."
As he turned to see Ron's reaction, he caught a glimpse of Draco leaning against the wall in the background, arms crossed over his chest, looking amused at Ron's inability to speak. He smiled at the blonde whose only response was to wink at Harry before leaving.
Three days later, Harry found himself nervously waiting for Draco to arrive at the restaurant in which he was sitting.
Harry had toured the memorial and been stunned to find not only the names of those who had died in this recent battle, but the names of both his parents as well as others that had fallen years ago. He had been so choked up with emotion that he knew he needed to contact the other man to express his thanks.
Harry had owled him as soon as he had arrived home the night of the party, expressing his surprise and appreciation for his efforts to rebuild the school and erect a memorial wing dedicated to Dumbledore. He knew that he couldn't convey just how much that meant to him unless he did so in person, so he had invited him to dinner.
As Draco arrived, he met Harry's gaze with a smile and moved to join him.
"So, Potter, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I wanted to thank you --"
"I thought you had already done that in your letter." He gave Harry a questioning glance as he took his seat.
"Yes, well ... I could hardly tell you just how much it meant ..." Harry wasn't sure even now how to express himself. Looking down at his hands on the table, he continued. "My parents --"
Draco leaned in and placed his hand over Harry's, stopping the flow of words. "Deserved to be honoured with everyone else."
"Yes, but --"
"Potter ... Harry ... they should be remembered, along with everyone else Voldemort hurt or killed."
"I know. It's just --"
"Besides, it got me a date with the Saviour of the Wizarding World, didn't it?"
It took a moment for Draco's words to register. Harry looked up to be greeted by a smirk - that same smirk he awoke to regularly. Somehow that gave Harry all the courage that he needed. Smiling, he pulled Draco towards him and into a searing kiss, one that said so much more than words ever could.
.
Title: More Than Words
Author:
sesheta_66 Rating: PG
Word Count: ~ 1700
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco (pre-slash), Ron, McGonagall.
Giftee: For
mijan in honour of her inability to write drabble-length fics. It also fits my GJ 100_prompts table #080 - "Thanks." Summary: Harry has trouble finding the words to express his thanks.
Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country. The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
If you missed the first one, see Fun Socks.
A smirk, strange as it may sound, gave him all the courage he needed.
Harry had been harbouring feelings for Malfoy … Draco, ever since the war.
At first he had been surprised - more like shocked - at his reaction to having the blonde clutching him when they were escaping the Fiendfyre. He had thought it was merely an adrenaline rush or something that had caused his body to respond in that way. Then when he had hexed the Death Eater and saw Draco's smile, his stomach had done a flip. He dismissed that to being a reaction to seeing a smile amidst the horror of battle.
Soon, however, the dreams started. He kept reliving the moments from the battle, yes, but he also saw flashes from the past. And every time he had one of those dreams, he awoke with the vision of a familiar blonde wearing a smirk. Only the smirk didn't seem so annoying anymore.
Months had gone by when Harry received an invitation from Headmistress McGonagall. They were having a party to celebrate the grand reopening of the school. Having been busy volunteering at St. Mungo's, Harry hadn't known that the school was ready to open its doors again. Not knowing if he was planning to attend for his missed seventh year, but wanting to see the castle again in its glory, as well as to support McGonagall, Harry owled her that he would be there.
As he and Ron entered the Great Hall, Harry instinctively scanned the room, starting from the area where the Slytherin table used to sit. It wasn't long before he saw the familiar shock of blonde hair. Ron noticed a few moments later.
"What's he doing here?" he asked.
"I imagine he was invited, Ron," Harry replied, not in the mood to listen to a Malfoy-bashing rant.
"Well … yeah … he probably was, but who would have the gall to show up here after everything that's happened?"
"Apparently he would."
"Well, obviously. But --"
"Leave it, Ron. We've been through this before. You need to let it go and move on. The war is over. Draco suffered too. Let's just --"
"Draco? When did he stop being Malfoy?"
"Since I started thinking of him as a fellow survivor, a fellow target of Voldemort's wrath."
Ron scowled but didn't continue to debate the matter. "Suit yourself. He's still Malfoy to me."
"Fair enough. Just … just stop bad-mouthing him, yeah? It's getting old."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Ron conceded.
About half an hour later, Ron nudged Harry in the ribs. "You can stop staring now."
"What?"
"Malfoy," he said, as if that explained everything. At Harry's confused look, he continued. "You've been staring at him off and on all night."
"I have not!" Harry said incredulously.
"Relax, mate. It looks like he's just as interested in you as you are in him." Again Harry gave his traditionally bewildered look of incomprehension. "He's been staring at you whenever you weren't staring at him."
"I wasn’t staring," Harry grumbled.
"Whatever you say," Ron replied, rolling his eyes in the process.
The evening's festivities went on as expected, until McGonagall got up to speak. She proceeded to welcome everyone to the school, then asked them to be seated. Once the crowd settled down, she began.
"Thank you everyone for being here this evening. It was with a sad heart that we closed our doors after the last battle. The castle had been greatly damaged by the war, and we weren't sure whether or not we would reopen - this year or indeed ever. It is, therefore, my great pleasure to be able to announce not only that the repairs are complete, but that they have been completed ahead of schedule. The new school year will commence two weeks from today.
"This momentous accomplishment would not have been possible were it not for a group of dedicated volunteers. These people worked tirelessly, often late into the night, to help rebuild from the ruins of war. They have been recommended to the Ministry of Magic for recognition of service, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their efforts." The room burst into applause. She called their names, and one by one they went up to the podium to accept a scroll from the Headmistress before resuming their seats.
"And now I would like to extend a special thanks to someone who used his own considerable resources to fund much of the effort involved in the rebuilding. He contributed financially, but more than that, he donated his time and used his connections to ensure experts in each of the necessary fields were at our disposal. At this time I would like to ask Mr. Draco Malfoy to come up to the front and address you all." Ron and Harry looked at each other in stunned silence.
Eventually, Ron found his voice. "What's that about?"
"Dunno," Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders and watching Draco move to the front of the room.
He got up on stage and took a moment to look around at the crowd gathered before him. When his eyes met Harry's, he grinned and his eyes seemed to come to life. Harry's stomach lurched. What was that about? He gave a brief nod, and Draco turned to address the crowd.
"First, I would like to echo Headmistress McGonagall's sentiment. The sheer number of people willing to give of themselves in order to see this day arrive as quickly as possible was incredible. Through their efforts, we are able to be here today, ready to open the doors of this fine institution to current and future generations of students. Hopefully there will never again be a time when war is brought to the doors of Hogwarts." Harry wasn't sure, but it seemed a look of sadness and regret passed over Draco's face as he said those words. "But let us not forget. There were many lives lost, and we should honour them.
"As one part of the renovations, I had requested that we erect a memorial on the grounds, a way to ensure that we never forget those who lost their lives in the many battles against Lord Voldemort. I direct your attention to the rear of the school, where you will see a new wing. This will serve as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts wing, where the subject will be taught, but also where the dead are honoured. Please take the time to tour that area of the school and pay your respects before you leave today. Thank you."
As they made their way over to the new wing, Ron complained. "He probably insisted that it be named the Malfoy Wing." Harry found himself not caring, his head still spinning from the realization that Draco had contributed so much to the rebuilding of the school.
"So what if he did?" Harry snapped. Ron gaped at him in shock. "I mean really, Ron. His family's name is mud everywhere now, thanks to Lucius. Who cares if he wants it named after his family? If he did contribute so much --"
"Money! It's always about money, isn't it?"
Harry let out an exasperated sigh. "No, Ron. Didn't you hear McGonagall? He contributed money and time. He used family connections to get the best workers. He contributed something invaluable in a memorial. So what if that goes a little way to redeem his name, and --"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He was staring at the entrance to the Albus Dumbledore School of Defence. A plaque on the wall as they entered read, "Dedicated to the Memory of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Head of the Order of the Phoenix."
As he turned to see Ron's reaction, he caught a glimpse of Draco leaning against the wall in the background, arms crossed over his chest, looking amused at Ron's inability to speak. He smiled at the blonde whose only response was to wink at Harry before leaving.
Three days later, Harry found himself nervously waiting for Draco to arrive at the restaurant in which he was sitting.
Harry had toured the memorial and been stunned to find not only the names of those who had died in this recent battle, but the names of both his parents as well as others that had fallen years ago. He had been so choked up with emotion that he knew he needed to contact the other man to express his thanks.
Harry had owled him as soon as he had arrived home the night of the party, expressing his surprise and appreciation for his efforts to rebuild the school and erect a memorial wing dedicated to Dumbledore. He knew that he couldn't convey just how much that meant to him unless he did so in person, so he had invited him to dinner.
As Draco arrived, he met Harry's gaze with a smile and moved to join him.
"So, Potter, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I wanted to thank you --"
"I thought you had already done that in your letter." He gave Harry a questioning glance as he took his seat.
"Yes, well ... I could hardly tell you just how much it meant ..." Harry wasn't sure even now how to express himself. Looking down at his hands on the table, he continued. "My parents --"
Draco leaned in and placed his hand over Harry's, stopping the flow of words. "Deserved to be honoured with everyone else."
"Yes, but --"
"Potter ... Harry ... they should be remembered, along with everyone else Voldemort hurt or killed."
"I know. It's just --"
"Besides, it got me a date with the Saviour of the Wizarding World, didn't it?"
It took a moment for Draco's words to register. Harry looked up to be greeted by a smirk - that same smirk he awoke to regularly. Somehow that gave Harry all the courage that he needed. Smiling, he pulled Draco towards him and into a searing kiss, one that said so much more than words ever could.
.