#eternally consistent

[wistfulrat]

hello luv. same anon here who asked for enemies to lover fics. I’ve been making my way thru the list (out of order) and was wondering if you could explain Eternally Consistent (I believe I got the name correct) to me. I read the whole thing and the timeline explanation but I’m still a bit confused and it’s a beautiful fic so I would love for it to make sense to me. time loops frustrated me a bit in that fic. thank u sm for the recs btw. <<<333

oh hi anon i’m so glad you liked it! the ending tripped me up as well the first time i read it so i def get you. also i might be shit at explaining things but i hope this helps🙃 under the cut bc spoilers etc. <3

referring to the timeline chart from the author notes, i think the biggest part to get is that the last row of column 2 (harry returns to tempus, confronts draco, travels back in time to become future!harry) is technically the beginning of column 3 (future!harry goes to draco all bloody, sexytimes etc.)

so like, that dramatic confrontation at the DoM towards the end is actually meant to put you back at the opening scene of the fic. and with that information, you can almost re-read the bulk of the story as two simultaneous timelines—one where harry is going to become future!harry and one where future!harry is waiting for his past self to get shit done so he can close the time loop he created. (paradoxes kill me tbh)

it’s like how in Prisoner of Azkaban, the time loop closes moments after harry and hermione return to the hospital wing and see themselves disappear. in this fic, future!harry officially closes the time loop when he shows up to the DoM right after his past self disappears.

[dewitty1]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 12/12 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Millicent Bulstrode/Hermione Granger Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Millicent Bulstrode, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley Additional Tags: Glasses kink, HP: EWE, Aurors, Unspeakables, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, But not quite in that order?, Time Turner, physics kink, Quidditch Summary:

Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter assumed they would never be anything but civil enemies, until Potter lands on Malfoy’s doorstep, bleeding, covered in curses, and acting very strangely indeed.

Excerpt:

Okay,“ Potter said, and reached for Draco’s belt.

Draco backed away, bumping into the escritoire. Potter followed. "What? You weren’t supposed to… what’re you playing at, Potter? You’re not… I’m not—”

“Yes I am. And so are you. And if the Wizarding World knew it would be a complete pain in the arse, which is why neither of us has made a big noise about it.” Potter had the belt unbuckled and was working on the fly, and Draco should try to stop him, but…

“But we hate each other.” Which was better than ‘but you were supposed to say no’, but not by much.

Potter stopped, hands clutching the open V of Draco’s trousers. “Because wanting to shove your cock down someone else’s throat is about love? This is about power, Malfoy. I get that. It’s always been about power between us. You have something I want: your silence. And I have something you want in return. Mine.”

It was a trick. It had to be. Potter was calling Draco’s bluff, that was all. He expected Draco to back down first. Because he was right, it had always been about power between them.

Draco leaned back and braced his hands on the edge of the escritoire. “Then you’re doing a lot of talking for someone who’s offering his silence.”

Potter smiled, the annoying smile of someone who has a secret, and slid his hand down to cup Draco’s flaccid cock.

Ffffuuuck. Potter’s hand warmed the silk of Draco’s trunks, stroking Draco’s cock awake. And even though Draco wanted to do nothing more than close his eyes and give himself over to the impossible reality of Harry Potter giving him a hand-job, he kept his gaze locked with Potter’s. This wasn’t sex. This was a standoff. Potter would back down before Draco did.

Which meant a little taunting could only speed matters along. “You’ve done this before,” Draco said, letting his lip curl as though that could only be a shameful thing. He rolled his hips, pressing into Potter’s hand.

Potter’s smile widened. “Didn’t I already admit that?”

“I just assumed a certain level of natural prudery. Aren’t you and the Weaslette—” Draco’s taunt ended on a choked sound when Potter’s grip tightened to the point of pain.

“Are you really stupid enough to insult my friends when your balls are in my hand?”

Draco was no longer sure how stupid he was, how stupid Potter could make him. It seemed less and less likely that Potter was going to back down, which meant soon it would be Potter’s teeth threatening him, and it was stupid how hard that thought made him.

A fact Potter seemed very aware of. He shoved Draco’s trousers down to his thighs. “Ginny and I aren’t together anymore, so fidelity’s not an issue. Thanks for your concern.” He knelt in front of Draco, lifting his cock and opening his mouth and holy fuck Potter was actually going to do this and—

“Wait.” Draco released his death grip on the escritoire and grabbed Potter’s shoulders. The part of Draco that couldn’t back down warred with the part that couldn’t force Potter to suck him off in exchange for… anything. He looked down, and everything about what he saw seemed disconnected and surreal. His hard cock. Potter’s hand. Potter’s eyes, and those stupid glasses. “What are you… how can you… why are you doing this?”

“Do you want me to stop?”

Draco shook his head.

“I’m doing this because I want to.” Green, green eyes met his, made larger and more earnest by those stupid fucking glasses. “I’m not ashamed of wanting you, Draco,” Potter said, and his eyes, I’m not ashamed of you.

[drowninginfanfics]

Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter assumed they would never be anything but civil enemies, until Potter lands on Malfoy's doorstep, bleeding, covered in curses, and acting very strangely indeed.