Into the Midst

A Harry Potter Fanfiction Blog

[into-the-midst]

Mortal Temples of a King: Chapter 20

Snippet:

"Very strange," he said, and returned to turning the wand over in his hand. "I have never experienced the likes of this."

"Malfoy's wand is special?" Weasley asked. "Didn't you sell it to him?"

Ollivander put the wand back to his ear. "Your father protested the selection. Ten inches couldn't contain enough strength, he'd said. Unicorn hair is too weak a core. He even complained the design too simple."

Amused, Ollivander lowered the wand, holding it in both palms. "This wand isn't unique for those reasons."

Draco leaned forwards, still seated, curiosity consuming him. He remembered the day he'd gotten his wand. The shortcomings Father pointed out hadn't mattered to Draco. He'd just been excited to do real magic, up until the point Father implied Draco would never amount to anything with a wand so weak. They'd tried dozens more after, but none responded to him. There had even been talk of traveling to other wandmakers across the world, until one matched Lucius’s ideals.

"This wand also belongs to you, Mr. Potter."

Read here!

[supmilger]

a summer day

[into-the-midst]

Sneak Peek: Mortal Temples 20

"Harry, please."

Pressing his lips together didn't hide the smile, and when Harry peeked one eye open at Granger, he also found Draco glaring.

"What?" Harry asked. "It's effective."

If Draco didn't have years of exposure saying otherwise, he would have guessed Granger detested Harry. The darkness in her eyes had been gradually mounting for the better part of their occlumency session.

"Harry," she said, voice too sweet for the depths in her eyes, "If I have to see you snogging Malfoy again, I'll hex the nastiest boils all over your mouth."

Massaging his temples, Draco again, considered killing Harry Potter himself. A week into occlumency training had proven, yet again, that Harry Potter had an uncanny knack for succeeding where previously thought impossible. Or perhaps it was simply because Granger didn't want to see whatever deviant thoughts he thrust at her.

"Spoilsport."

Granger grit her teeth, then cast the spell again. Draco watched from the arm chair they'd dragged into the sunroom, blanket covering his lap and his nervous hands. Ever since they reentered the Order meeting, dripping wet and shivering, Harry had wanted to focus on nothing else but occlumency. Draco obliged the wish of a man with a death sentence, and as far as he was concerned, his teaching had shown signs of early success.

But Voldemort hadn't reappeared, so the true test was yet to come.

Granger must've been able to tell he was putting in the effort. While Draco worked on the Polyjuice, she questioned every deviation from the written instructions, at times, risking the timing to do so. Draco really tried to humor her. He tried to see her how Harry did, but Harry wasn't dealing with this version of Granger, the one who hated Draco as much as he'd ever loathed her.

With a frustrated vocalization, Granger got to her feet and stormed out of the room. Harry collapsed with laughter back onto the couch, then shouted after her, "What was the number?"

She answered by slamming the door to their room.

"Now what did you do?" Draco asked.

"Made it you snogging Ron."

[semina-art]

Fresh unfinished sketches

[semina-art]

It's been a while. I'm not sure whether I should post here more often, since I haven't made any Tomarry art lately. I've switched to traditional art and mostly draw landscapes and random Pinterest portraits in my sketchbooks now. This is probably the closest I've come to drawing anything HP-related in a while. Just a few sketches with varying degrees of creepiness. Lord V and some random characters.

[into-the-midst]

Finally sitting down to work on Mortal Temples today.

Do not ever bring home two puppies at once. You'll lose every moment of your free time and every trace of energy.

[supmilger]

Welcoming a New Day

[mzuul]

The Kiss of Death

[into-the-midst]

Love your works I've got to ask you more about the relationship between Voldemort and draco (hc and mt); Voldemort begins with viewing draco as a sort of inconvenience yet a necessity and he treats him as such and slowly we see this relationship turn into a possessive one where Voldemort goes onto refer to draco as his belonging, it's sort of intimate? But not at all in the romantic manner because we see that he would treat belatirx the same someone who would do anything for his approval not that draco has it of course draco has gone against him in the worst manner yet we know he would never kill draco destroy him yes but not kill this what I mean when I say intimate where draco doesn't really add much as a death eater except a symbol but is still sought after and don't even get me started on how he possesses harry to look for draco terrifying yet again weirdly intimate

Just some thoughts if I managed to read the dynamic completely wrong please do not be offended I'm stupid sometimes, love what you do thabk you so much for your works

I'm so glad to hear you've been enjoying Hollow Crown and Mortal Temples! The relationship between Voldemort and Draco is actually the entire reason I started writing this duology. I'm kind of obsessed with this sort of toxic relationship, so you're absolutely reading it correctly. Voldemort definitely develops a possessive fixation on Draco over the course of the story.

There are a lot of things at play in Voldemort's mind. Draco was born with everything Voldemort believed should have belonged to him. Wealth, privilege, a respected pureblood name, parents who loved him, a future laid out from birth; Voldemort was a nameless orphan who had to earn his place in every social circle he entered.

Voldemort doesn't want to be Draco (like Draco observes at Shell Cottage). But he absolutely believes he deserves the life Draco has had and hasn't been making the most of. Voldemort can't have those things for himself, but he can possess Draco.

In canon, Voldemort is shown stealing items that hold value to others, and then he corrupts them. Draco falls into this category. Voldemort doesn't just want to own him. He wants to claim him and remake him into something that's his.

So you're right! There's nothing romantic about it. Voldemort sees the world as having cheated him, and because he's so powerful, he believes he's entitled to claim whatever he wants.

[into-the-midst]

After crunching the numbers, it looks like Mortal Temples of a King should be 31 chapters.

[myatush]

🐍

[into-the-midst]

do you ever listen to music while writing your works? if so what do you listen too

I've been asked this before and think it's probably not the best answer, but I almost exclusively listen to Stray Kids. They've been my hyperfixation for two years now. I used to like to listen to really intense classical music!

[into-the-midst]

Mortal Temples of a King: Chapter 19

Read here!

Chapter Snippet:

She cleared her throat, caught out. "I just can't believe anyone would take a brand like that."

Draco continued his preparations. He sensed where this conversation would land, and wanted to steer away from the inevitable. But Granger didn't play by his rules.

"You'd prefer I was dead then," he said, hoping it caused her even a brief moment's hesitation. Though, he'd wished her dead plenty of times. Fairness entailed she did the same.

"Aren't you always prattling on about how important you are? He wouldn't have killed the son of his financier."

"Father was in Azkaban at the time," Draco said, running his thumb gently over the knife's edge to test the blade. "If he killed me, resources would have gone to Mother."

"I just think he wouldn't have killed you. He would've hurt you, certainly. But—"

"One scar and suddenly you're an expert in pain?"

Given her huff, that wasn't the proper response. A nagging little voice told him that he hadn't told Granger what all had been done to him, and that Harry wouldn't have either, but he easily buried that down. Bellatrix spent two minutes at most cutting Granger's arm.

Draco spent two years being tortured daily. She didn't know pain. She couldn't fathom it.

"Have a monopoly on suffering, do you?"

"No more than yours on self-righteousness."

[into-the-midst]

Mortal Temples of a King: Chapter 19

Read here!

Chapter Snippet:

She cleared her throat, caught out. "I just can't believe anyone would take a brand like that."

Draco continued his preparations. He sensed where this conversation would land, and wanted to steer away from the inevitable. But Granger didn't play by his rules.

"You'd prefer I was dead then," he said, hoping it caused her even a brief moment's hesitation. Though, he'd wished her dead plenty of times. Fairness entailed she did the same.

"Aren't you always prattling on about how important you are? He wouldn't have killed the son of his financier."

"Father was in Azkaban at the time," Draco said, running his thumb gently over the knife's edge to test the blade. "If he killed me, resources would have gone to Mother."

"I just think he wouldn't have killed you. He would've hurt you, certainly. But—"

"One scar and suddenly you're an expert in pain?"

Given her huff, that wasn't the proper response. A nagging little voice told him that he hadn't told Granger what all had been done to him, and that Harry wouldn't have either, but he easily buried that down. Bellatrix spent two minutes at most cutting Granger's arm.

Draco spent two years being tortured daily. She didn't know pain. She couldn't fathom it.

"Have a monopoly on suffering, do you?"

"No more than yours on self-righteousness."

[praenomer]

The Lovers is a card of choice

[supmilger]

🌺🌺🌺

[slyssnakes]

small comforts