MOVED

Draco can now be found on my multimuse, @INDISCRETUS Indie & Highly Selective 18+ Canon Divergent Draco Malfoy Written by Sky Follows from @plotbunnie

[technicallyaferret]

Just a note: this blog isn’t becoming active again, I’m just clearing out the drafts to archive elsewhere!

[technicallyaferret]

Misc. Headcanon Roundup 01

What is your proudest moment? 

Draco’s had a lot of prideful moments, but not a lot that he’s actually proud of. When he looks back he’s really not terribly proud of any of them- he sees his life as one big pile of regrets.

Some moments that aren’t totally tainted by this outlook are the first time he rode a broom, or seeing his mother’s eyes light up with joy and pride in her son as he cast his first spell ( Lumos, so he’d never feel afraid of the dark again ), but Draco’s in rather desperate need of moments to be proud of.

In expansion to this, Draco’s career verses feature a good deal of proud moments. In his healer verse, his proudest moment would be the moment he sat down at his desk in the office for his practice, the moment he realised all his work had paid off. In his Auror verse, it is the moment he graduated the training academy, despite all the efforts taken by others to ensure he did not.

Cheese or wine?

Cheese. Draco likes his wine, but to him it’s something rather common place, just another thing in his lavish life, and since the taste is just so-so to him, he’ll usually choose to eat cheese rather than drink wine, much to his mother and father’s muted dismay.

What do you want for the future?

This is a tough question to answer, primarily because Draco’s expectations of life have changed so much. At first, his goals and wishes were simple: be just like his father, and make his parents proud. Then, in school, he very briefly entertained ideas of being a quidditch star, but he knew right from the start he wasn’t good enough.

After that everything went to hell, and Draco didn’t have a clue what he wanted anymore.

Now that everything’s said and done, Draco just wants to feel normal in his life. He doesn’t want anything big or grand, he doesn’t really want a wife and kids. He just wants his life to feel normal, and in most of his verses, he’s getting there.

❤: Opinion on love

Very secretly, Draco wants desperately to believe in love. There is a part of him that truly needs to believe it’s real. He knows his mother loves him, she shows it whenever she can, he knows his father loves him, even though that love sometimes burns. But he struggles to believe that there is anyone outside of his parents who could possibly ever love him- as a friendor anything more.

Outwardly, he denounces it, says it’s a ridiculous fairy tale, something only little kids believe in- and certainly not something powerful enough to defeat the evil in the world.

But secretly…. secretly he hopes he’s wrong.

☠ : Opinion on death

Death is terrifying to Draco. It is perhaps his greatest fear, aside from pain(Draco hates to be in pain, despite how frequently he is, but that’s another headcanon all together). He’s become somewhat painfully desensitized to the deaths of others, after having been exposed to it so much during the war, but there’s still a small part of him that shrinks away at the thought.

👌 …someone my muse has only met once, but will never forget.

If you want the answer Draco would give, it’d be all to easy to say that he really does never forget a face- growing up politically he’s trained from a very young age to remember many details about a person after only one meeting, and so for all his griping and acting as if he doesn’t remember someone(this is something he’s especially bad about when it comes to the Weasleys) he actually probably remembers their name, and at least 5 details about them and the first time they met.

Now, someone Draco has only met once who’s left a lasting impression on him, and earned a place in his memory above others… That would be his cousin, Nymphadora Tonks. He only met her once, while he and his father were leaving the Ministry after attending to some business while Draco was quite young(he had demanded to go along, in order to see what his father did, and eventually Lucius had agreed), and the moment he laid eyes on her and her bright hair he thought she must be a fantastic person, and very confident to look the way she did. Terse greetings were exchanged and Draco immediately knew his father didn’t like her- so he pretended he didn’t either, but really he admired her, in the way young children often admire people they like the look of.

To this day he’s still got a million questions he’d like to ask her, if only he could get around his pride.

👀 …someone my muse likes, but doesn’t trust.

Try…. everyone? But really, there are a lot of people Draco likes but doesn’t trust. He’s been raised to understand that everyone he knows is trying to use him for his weath, for his influence, for his power, for his name. So understanding genuine friendship is sort of beyond him.

Among the people he likes the most but still doesn’t feel he can trust(despite wanting to) are Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and Theodore Nott(basically, all of his fellow Slytherins in his year, really), as well as many of his mother and father’s associates.

Draco likes a great many people, and trusts precisely two(and even then he only trusts his parents most of the time).

☼ If they had the choice to be immortal with one other person, who would they choose?

His mother. Without hesitation.

♜ Interior decorating aesthetic

It’s not the sort of thing one would expect from Draco, per se, but books, books, and more books. Each room contains antique and expensive looking furniture, all dark wood and, interestingly enough, muted, pale colours for the cushions and fabrics. There is a stunning lack of green, for someone so aggressively Slytherin, and instead where colour is needed there is only soft blue that might as well be grey. Every room in the house follows this colour scheme, and there are bookshelves covering at least one wall of every room, and the books on them are sorted both alphabetically and according to purpose. Hundreds of recipe books reside in the kitchen, a small cluster of fiction novels have found their way to the bedroom, where there is also always a miscellaneous stack next to his bed.

There is a library proper, where every wall is covered by shelves and truly creative methods of shelving seem to have been developed, including circular shelves that actually spin to get you the book you’re looking for. Many of the books are rare and old, but others are brand new, only opened a few times when he needs them. Some are new, but clearly well-loved, and all are well cared for.

While each piece of furniture is elaborate and incredibly comfortable, there is not too much of it. In fact there is exactly enough for himself and to entertain what company he might encounter. If not for the shelves giving the room an almost cozy feeling, one might even call the furnishings sparse.

{ This is all assuming he actually ever just has a house of his own, though. Which, in the verses I have for him, just isn’t likely. }

ϟ Have they ever gotten pleasure from causing others pain?

Honestly, this is a complicated question to answer. Draco has caused a lot of pain in his life- he’s called lots people hurtful names, and hexed a fair few(though more in the prank range than the malicious sort). And he’s been amused by it. He’s laughed when Neville’s fallen over because Draco hit him with a jelly-legs jinx, he was horribly amused by Ron getting so mad about Hermione being called a mudblood that he tried to defend her.

But Draco is not his Aunt Bellatrix by any stretch. He’s amused by thereactions people have to pain- specifically, the angry, ‘you rotten bastard’ reactions and the ‘just my luck,’ reactions. He is not amused by people screaming and writing on the floor in pain, nor would he be amused if he ever found out/realised that his pranks and taunts caused serious emotional damage to some people. He might not be sympathetic, but he wouldn’t be amused or enjoy the knowledge, either(there’d be some nagging guilt, but he’d bury it).

So the short answer is, yes, the long answer is absolutely not.

Send me a ❀ for a fact about the muse

While Draco doesn’t know a damn thing about cleaning anything by hand, he actually knows a wide variety of cleaning spells and charms. Draco can’t stand a messy environment, and at Hogwarts the house elves didn’t clean up after him or anyone else, so he learned fast. 

[technicallyaferret]

Misc. Headcanon Roundup 02

☯: What do they think of ‘good’ and ‘evil’? 

“I think we like to wrap up good and evil like they’re labels we can stick on everything, even people, but nothing’s really good or evil besides our actions. Thoughts are thoughts, and they don’t mean anything until they become actions, and people aren’t that simple.”

something in canon they wish they hadn’t said/done?

“I thought that would be obvious- come on Granger, you’re smarter than that, and so is anyone writing you. I’d never have taken that blasted mark if I knew what was coming from it.”

Some of the ‘lesser’ things he wishes he hadn’t done include general regrets, like being an ass to Ron in front of Harry, but if we’re talking strictly things that appear in canon that go differently out of it, Draco most certainly wishes the comment about Buckbeak being ‘ugly’ had never happened.

[severelysnapped---tbd-deactivat]

WHICH PLANTS SYMBOLIZE YOUR MUSE’S ATTRIBUTES?

Stole it from @willowguarded

DANDELION

Scrappy and tough, you’re a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of person. You don’t give up easily and you often thrive in situations that others would find discouraging. You have an instinct to serve others and see yourself as most useful in times or places of crisis, but you may over rely on your toughness and forget how sensitive you really are.

FENNEL

You’re quiet, sometimes shy, with a tendency to be reserved. You have a humble, kind nature and often find yourself taking care of others. You can be known to hold things in, and you don’t always speak up for yourself. This tendency to hold things in can lead to disturbances.

PEPPERMINT

Unflappable. You are cool in the crisis, calm in the storm, collected amongst the chaos. You’re a breath of fresh air, a waft of inspiration to the down-and-out, a refreshing, inspiring, uplifting person to be around. Of course, even a cool cucumber like yourself can run into trouble. You may try to take on too much, which can leave you feeling weighed down and not quite yourself.

Tagging: @technicallyaferret @ofsubtlearts @furryproblem @lockhcrts @amphiisbaena ( bellatrix / pansy or tom ) @deielectus 

[technicallyaferret]

Tolerance

[livinghorcrux]

technicallyaferret:

@livinghorcrux | plotted

This was possibly the strangest thing that had happened yet. Two years after settling into the Auror’s offices at the Ministry, two years after making it further than anyone thought he would ( and further than anyone wanted him to ), Draco was being paired with another new partner- and this time, it seemed his superiors had made the choice with the simple hope that it would stick- and Draco didn’t know what to make of it. 

He’d been informed that his partnership with the Boy Who Lived was on a trial basis- and not-so-subtly informed that any funny business would see his job gone fasted than he could say ‘niffler’. Draco had no intention on any funny business, but he did hope this meant he would see real field work, rather than continuing to handle cases like Mrs. Castworn’s missing cats ( who were actually generally just under her porch ) and Mister Fallsworth’s noise complaints about the family of five next door. He doubted they’d have the saviour of the wizarding world doing such menial cases. 

Still, more worrisome than what sort of cases they’d be working on, and any potential consequences should Potter decide he didn’t like working with Draco, was what the bloody hell to say to the man after almost nine years. They hadn’t spoken after the trial, and Potter had all but disappeared in the years after. It wasn’t like a generic ‘it’s a pleasure to meet you’ would do. It didn’t help that Draco was hardly the boy he’d been in school, and Harry most certainly wasn’t either- the confident, assured man in front of him, looking ready to take down another Dark Lord without breaking a sweat this time, was the furthest thing possible from the scrawny thing he’d been in school.

And the blasted man was several inches taller than him, Draco noticed.

In the end, he stuck his hand out, memories rising unbidden of the day they’d met on the train. “Potter,” he said, stiffly, tone formal for lack of knowledge of any other way to handle this. 

Leaving England had perhaps been the best thing Harry ever could have done for himself. His years in the mainland had broadened his understanding not only of magic and its history, but of his own experiences and traumas. He ended up spending a few years working with a therapist in Norway who specialized in aiding Muggleborns and Squibs. 

Although Harry didn’t technically fit into either category, the sensation of otherness and not really belonging to either the magical or the mundane community applied well enough that the woman had been kind enough to accept him. She helped him go over a lot of things - and he’d learned more about himself than he ever thought possible. Some of it was pretty messed up - but some of it, well. Some of it was alright - and he was at a point where he was alight with the messed up parts and happy enough with the alright ones that it felt right to come back, in the end.

He had not thought he would ever reach a point where he would want to come back here - but now, he felt like he had what it took to not only face it, but make the changes he wanted to see, felt were necessary, and above all else - knew from his travels were possible if introduced in the right way. He had died for this community - so, he should be able to make it one worth living in.

It helped that Kingsley was Minister for Magic now. The man had spent years alongside the Muggle prime minister, and was a good deal more aware of civil rights than many - he was working hard to make positive changes from within the government itself and, despite people clamoring for him to name Harry an auror, he had insisted that Harry undergo the same psychological evaluations and tests as anyone else when he transferred in from the office in Sweden. 

In truth, the sheer lack of special treatment the Minister afforded him made Harry absolutely adore the man - he liked the challenge of working to prove himself and not having things handed to him just because he was the Boy Who Kept On Living. He had a good track record as a junior in Sweden, but he still hadn’t passed his senior levels and had a good year or two before he was even due to take the exams. 

Considering his track record in Scotland during the Battle of Hogwarts and in light of his position as the man who defeated Voldemort, he was offered the opportunity to take those exams early - but Harry had learned he had some authority issues he still needed to work out, so he thought it wise to refuse the offer and work his way to a senior position naturally. The last thing they needed was him in a position of power once the inevitable frustrations started rising. Not that he mentioned that to Kingsley, of course, but it seemed his caution was respected all the same, and that was good enough for Harry.

What he had not anticipated was the Minister’s willingness to manipulate his position as a famous Dark Wizard slayer with consent. Harry had been fully prepared to be wielded and manipulated - but Kingsley had been pretty up front with his plans and that alone was enough to get Harry to agree without any hesitation. The fact the plan was progressive and ingenious helped, but being involved in the process really did warm Harry to Kingsley as a whole.

While there was some dissent over his partner, Harry was thrilled. The idea of working with Draco was exhilarating for a lot of reasons, not the least of which being that he was insatiably curious about the man’s chosen career path and clear dedication to it despite the mountains of setbacks and roadblocks that had been set up for him. ( The fact that Kingsley was going to test what might happen if Harry was in place to push against those setbacks was just a bonus, really. ) 

Of course, Harry wasn’t so optimistic as to think Draco would be all that happy about the arrangement. While he did believe they would be able to work together given they were adults and surely well past foolish childhood rivalries ( or so he hoped. If this turned out to be anything like Sirius and Snape he might have to abscond right on back to Sweden… ) he also acknowledged the chances were pretty high this would be a rocky start, at least until they established something of a comfort level with one another.

Thankfully, it looked like Draco was taking a proactive stance on this, which spared Harry the trouble of figuring out how to even begin. It wasn’t much, but Harry had worked with less. Smiling broadly in an effort to combat his own nerves about this, he greeted the stiff man cordially. “Malfoy. I hope you don’t think it’s too strange for me to say this, but I’m honestly glad they paired me off with you. I don’t imagine I’d have lasted too long with one of the old duffs.” Hefting his bag better on his shoulder, he reached out his hand in what he hoped would be a recognizable offering of truce. “Think you can show me the ropes around here?” 

[technicallyaferret]

Tolerance

[livinghorcrux]

technicallyaferret:

@livinghorcrux | plotted

This was possibly the strangest thing that had happened yet. Two years after settling into the Auror’s offices at the Ministry, two years after making it further than anyone thought he would ( and further than anyone wanted him to ), Draco was being paired with another new partner- and this time, it seemed his superiors had made the choice with the simple hope that it would stick- and Draco didn’t know what to make of it. 

He’d been informed that his partnership with the Boy Who Lived was on a trial basis- and not-so-subtly informed that any funny business would see his job gone fasted than he could say ‘niffler’. Draco had no intention on any funny business, but he did hope this meant he would see real field work, rather than continuing to handle cases like Mrs. Castworn’s missing cats ( who were actually generally just under her porch ) and Mister Fallsworth’s noise complaints about the family of five next door. He doubted they’d have the saviour of the wizarding world doing such menial cases. 

Still, more worrisome than what sort of cases they’d be working on, and any potential consequences should Potter decide he didn’t like working with Draco, was what the bloody hell to say to the man after almost nine years. They hadn’t spoken after the trial, and Potter had all but disappeared in the years after. It wasn’t like a generic ‘it’s a pleasure to meet you’ would do. It didn’t help that Draco was hardly the boy he’d been in school, and Harry most certainly wasn’t either- the confident, assured man in front of him, looking ready to take down another Dark Lord without breaking a sweat this time, was the furthest thing possible from the scrawny thing he’d been in school.

And the blasted man was several inches taller than him, Draco noticed.

In the end, he stuck his hand out, memories rising unbidden of the day they’d met on the train. “Potter,” he said, stiffly, tone formal for lack of knowledge of any other way to handle this. 

Leaving England had perhaps been the best thing Harry ever could have done for himself. His years in the mainland had broadened his understanding not only of magic and its history, but of his own experiences and traumas. He ended up spending a few years working with a therapist in Norway who specialized in aiding Muggleborns and Squibs. 

Although Harry didn’t technically fit into either category, the sensation of otherness and not really belonging to either the magical or the mundane community applied well enough that the woman had been kind enough to accept him. She helped him go over a lot of things - and he’d learned more about himself than he ever thought possible. Some of it was pretty messed up - but some of it, well. Some of it was alright - and he was at a point where he was alight with the messed up parts and happy enough with the alright ones that it felt right to come back, in the end.

He had not thought he would ever reach a point where he would want to come back here - but now, he felt like he had what it took to not only face it, but make the changes he wanted to see, felt were necessary, and above all else - knew from his travels were possible if introduced in the right way. He had died for this community - so, he should be able to make it one worth living in.

It helped that Kingsley was Minister for Magic now. The man had spent years alongside the Muggle prime minister, and was a good deal more aware of civil rights than many - he was working hard to make positive changes from within the government itself and, despite people clamoring for him to name Harry an auror, he had insisted that Harry undergo the same psychological evaluations and tests as anyone else when he transferred in from the office in Sweden. 

In truth, the sheer lack of special treatment the Minister afforded him made Harry absolutely adore the man - he liked the challenge of working to prove himself and not having things handed to him just because he was the Boy Who Kept On Living. He had a good track record as a junior in Sweden, but he still hadn’t passed his senior levels and had a good year or two before he was even due to take the exams. 

Considering his track record in Scotland during the Battle of Hogwarts and in light of his position as the man who defeated Voldemort, he was offered the opportunity to take those exams early - but Harry had learned he had some authority issues he still needed to work out, so he thought it wise to refuse the offer and work his way to a senior position naturally. The last thing they needed was him in a position of power once the inevitable frustrations started rising. Not that he mentioned that to Kingsley, of course, but it seemed his caution was respected all the same, and that was good enough for Harry.

What he had not anticipated was the Minister’s willingness to manipulate his position as a famous Dark Wizard slayer with consent. Harry had been fully prepared to be wielded and manipulated - but Kingsley had been pretty up front with his plans and that alone was enough to get Harry to agree without any hesitation. The fact the plan was progressive and ingenious helped, but being involved in the process really did warm Harry to Kingsley as a whole.

While there was some dissent over his partner, Harry was thrilled. The idea of working with Draco was exhilarating for a lot of reasons, not the least of which being that he was insatiably curious about the man’s chosen career path and clear dedication to it despite the mountains of setbacks and roadblocks that had been set up for him. ( The fact that Kingsley was going to test what might happen if Harry was in place to push against those setbacks was just a bonus, really. ) 

Of course, Harry wasn’t so optimistic as to think Draco would be all that happy about the arrangement. While he did believe they would be able to work together given they were adults and surely well past foolish childhood rivalries ( or so he hoped. If this turned out to be anything like Sirius and Snape he might have to abscond right on back to Sweden… ) he also acknowledged the chances were pretty high this would be a rocky start, at least until they established something of a comfort level with one another.

Thankfully, it looked like Draco was taking a proactive stance on this, which spared Harry the trouble of figuring out how to even begin. It wasn’t much, but Harry had worked with less. Smiling broadly in an effort to combat his own nerves about this, he greeted the stiff man cordially. “Malfoy. I hope you don’t think it’s too strange for me to say this, but I’m honestly glad they paired me off with you. I don’t imagine I’d have lasted too long with one of the old duffs.” Hefting his bag better on his shoulder, he reached out his hand in what he hoped would be a recognizable offering of truce. “Think you can show me the ropes around here?” 

[brtycrouchjr]

[official-madame-defarge-blog]

NO BUT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MY THEORY FOR THIS SCENE

This doesn’t comply with the books, I realize, but it doesn’t exactly not comply either.

Why would Malfoy rip a page out of a random book? If he wanted the book, he could have just bought the book himself. He’s not poor, his family doesn’t discourage learning. He chooses to rip a particular page with a pointed glance out of a book. Why?

Think of what this and Dobby’s actions of warning have in common: Lucius Malfoy. The one who was apparently talking freely of the dangers that would face the Muggle borns this year. I think Draco knew more about what was going on, or at least figured more out, than he let on to his friends. Why? He was worried.

How does this connect to the ripped paper? How did Harry and Ron find out about the basilisk? How did Hermione?

A ripped piece of paper on basilisks.

Now we’re to assume that Hermione found this in a library book and promptly ripped it out to take with her.

But why would Hermione, with her love and care for books almost on par with the librarian, rip a page out of a book she could have just checked out? My guess is she didn’t find it in the library.

My guess is Draco somehow slipped her the piece of paper that he ripped out of a book before school started, detailing the monster he knew was in the Chamber.

He slipped Hermione the paper somehow, whether by leaving it on her desk or planting it in her bag. He tried to warn them, as best he could.

[fangirltothefullest]

HOLY SHIT

I always wondered why they so importantly showed Malfoy ripping the page from the book. It was strange to me. Yes he’s destructive but honestly there is no point in showing that. But you’re right- Hermione would NEVER rip out a page of a book- this makes so much sense. 

[hollowhorcrux-a-deactivated2019]

❝ you know, i really hoped i’d never see this place again. ❞ | technicallyaferret about Hogwarts

{ God Of War Starters | Accepting }

Harry was solemn as he gazed at the castle before him - as much due to a similar train of thought as the reason his presence was required at all. “It’s interesting,” He mused, having learned that being open could sometimes prompt Draco to talk about himself a little, and build a much needed rapport better, “There was a time when Hogwarts was the most magical place in the world to me, and I never wanted to leave. Now - I just want to get this over with so that we can put our backs to it as quickly as possible.”

He had known, of course, that by accepting a position in the UK the chances of being summoned to Scotland on account of a situation in Hogsmeade or ( worse and, precisely the present case ) Hogwarts itself was quite a likely scenario. That didn’t mean he had to like it, however. 

“Let’s try and pretend we’re professionals who don’t hate this place, yeah?” He suggested, smiling grimly as he motioned for Draco to take the lead. 

@technicallyaferret

[ricknstvrk-blog]

R U N

awolnation // ya tender

[caediteosarchived]

* SHAKESPEARE AESTHETICS.

Macbeth:

the howl of wolves. moonless nights. dirt under fingernails. stained silk. chattering teeth. voices hoarse and cracked. rotting fruit. echoing drums. dry heaving. hanging cobwebs. stifling humidity. bloodshot eyes. the roughness of rusted steel. wild rosebushes. muscle cramps. the sound of splintering wood.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

crackling fires. ivy crawling on stone. the faint music of running water. petrichor. dirty, bare feet. tattered clothing. thistledown. wilted wildflower crowns. late evening birdsong. curling leaves. a symphony of croaking frogs. drifting feathers. the eerie sound of windchimes at night. humming bees. beds of clover.

Romeo and Juliet:

warm golden lamplight. worn shoes. crumbling brick walls. whispered poetry. embroidered satin. cool, hazy mornings. tousled hair. rosewater. flushed cheeks. distant orchestras. unfinished marble statues. cobblestone streets. loose threads. ink smudged on parchment. tapping fingers. dust illuminated by sunlight. poison vials.

Hamlet:

shattered glass. a cluster of fraying ribbons. unanswered knocks on doors. lingering dampness. white noise. inexplicable drafts. migraines. bleeding ears. the taste of metal. reflected mirrors. dry, cracked lips. the sound of tearing paper. fogged windows. memories of dreams. tarnished silver. protruding veins.

TAGGED BY : @masavenvares​ TAGGING: so if you’ve got an A in your name, you gotta do this

[technicallyaferret]

Tolerance

[hollowhorcrux-a-deactivated2019]

technicallyaferret:

@livinghorcrux | plotted

This was possibly the strangest thing that had happened yet. Two years after settling into the Auror’s offices at the Ministry, two years after making it further than anyone thought he would ( and further than anyone wanted him to ), Draco was being paired with another new partner- and this time, it seemed his superiors had made the choice with the simple hope that it would stick- and Draco didn’t know what to make of it. 

He’d been informed that his partnership with the Boy Who Lived was on a trial basis- and not-so-subtly informed that any funny business would see his job gone fasted than he could say ‘niffler’. Draco had no intention on any funny business, but he did hope this meant he would see real field work, rather than continuing to handle cases like Mrs. Castworn’s missing cats ( who were actually generally just under her porch ) and Mister Fallsworth’s noise complaints about the family of five next door. He doubted they’d have the saviour of the wizarding world doing such menial cases. 

Still, more worrisome than what sort of cases they’d be working on, and any potential consequences should Potter decide he didn’t like working with Draco, was what the bloody hell to say to the man after almost nine years. They hadn’t spoken after the trial, and Potter had all but disappeared in the years after. It wasn’t like a generic ‘it’s a pleasure to meet you’ would do. It didn’t help that Draco was hardly the boy he’d been in school, and Harry most certainly wasn’t either- the confident, assured man in front of him, looking ready to take down another Dark Lord without breaking a sweat this time, was the furthest thing possible from the scrawny thing he’d been in school.

And the blasted man was several inches taller than him, Draco noticed.

In the end, he stuck his hand out, memories rising unbidden of the day they’d met on the train. “Potter,” he said, stiffly, tone formal for lack of knowledge of any other way to handle this. 

Leaving England had perhaps been the best thing Harry ever could have done for himself. His years in the mainland had broadened his understanding not only of magic and its history, but of his own experiences and traumas. He ended up spending a few years working with a therapist in Norway who specialized in aiding Muggleborns and Squibs.

Although Harry didn’t technically fit into either category, the sensation of otherness and not really belonging to either the magical or the mundane community applied well enough that the woman had been kind enough to accept him. She helped him go over a lot of things - and he’d learned more about himself than he ever thought possible. Some of it was pretty messed up - but some of it, well. Some of it was alright - and he was at a point where he was alight with the messed up parts and happy enough with the alright ones that it felt right to come back, in the end.

He had not thought he would ever reach a point where he would want to come back here - but now, he felt like he had what it took to not only face it, but make the changes he wanted to see, felt were necessary, and above all else - knew from his travels were possible if introduced in the right way. He had died for this community - so, he should be able to make it one worth living in.

It helped that Kingsley was Minister for Magic now. The man had spent years alongside the Muggle prime minister, and was a good deal more aware of civil rights than many - he was working hard to make positive changes from within the government itself and, despite people clamoring for him to name Harry an auror, he had insisted that Harry undergo the same psychological evaluations and tests as anyone else when he transferred in from the office in Sweden.

In truth, the sheer lack of special treatment the Minister afforded him made Harry absolutely adore the man - he liked the challenge of working to prove himself and not having things handed to him just because he was the Boy Who Kept On Living. He had a good track record as a junior in Sweden, but he still hadn’t passed his senior levels and had a good year or two before he was even due to take the exams.

Considering his track record in Scotland during the Battle of Hogwarts and in light of his position as the man who defeated Voldemort, he was offered the opportunity to take those exams early - but Harry had learned he had some authority issues he still needed to work out, so he thought it wise to refuse the offer and work his way to a senior position naturally. The last thing they needed was him in a position of power once the inevitable frustrations started rising. Not that he mentioned that to Kingsley, of course, but it seemed his caution was respected all the same, and that was good enough for Harry.

What he had not anticipated was the Minister’s willingness to manipulate his position as a famous Dark Wizard slayer with consent. Harry had been fully prepared to be wielded and manipulated - but Kingsley had been pretty up front with his plans and that alone was enough to get Harry to agree without any hesitation. The fact the plan was progressive and ingenious helped, but being involved in the process really did warm Harry to Kingsley as a whole.

While there was some dissent over his partner, Harry was thrilled. The idea of working with Draco was exhilarating for a lot of reasons, not the least of which being that he was insatiablycurious about the man’s chosen career path and clear dedication to it despite the mountains of setbacks and roadblocks that had been set up for him. ( The fact that Kingsley was going to test what might happen if Harry was in place to push against those setbacks was just a bonus, really. )

Of course, Harry wasn’t so optimistic as to think Draco would be all that happy about the arrangement. While he did believe they would be able to work together given they were adults and surely well past foolish childhood rivalries ( or so he hoped. If this turned out to be anything like Sirius and Snape he might have to abscond right on back to Sweden… ) he also acknowledged the chances were pretty high this would be a rocky start, at least until they established something of a comfort level with one another.

Thankfully, it looked like Draco was taking a proactive stance on this, which spared Harry the trouble of figuring out how to even begin. It wasn’t much, but Harry had worked with less. Smiling broadly in an effort to combat his own nerves about this, he greeted the stiff man cordially. “Malfoy. I hope you don’t think it’s too strange for me to say this, but I’m honestly glad they paired me off with you. I don’t imagine I’d have lasted too long with one of the old duffs.” Hefting his bag better on his shoulder, he reached out his hand in what he hoped would be a recognizable offering of truce. “Think you can show me the ropes around here?”

[violentwavesofemotion-deactivat]

I’m not too gone to be healed, am I? I’m not too gone  am I?

Alice Notley, from In The Pines: Poems; “In The Pines,” (via violentwavesofemotion)

[ferretix]

tag the squad

[theaetherghoul]

HOGWARTS DURING THE SEASONS     ↳ Slytherin + Autumn

[mourningcrimson]

[severelysnapped---tbd-deactivat]

😊 Sit down next to my muse | whatever the most awkward situation possible between harry & draco is, that's what I'm picturing

{ Nonverbal Starters }

The minute Harry had heard that the Daily Prophet would be running a piece on Hogwarts’ reparation process, he had made himself scarce. He knew full well that it would just turn into a disgusting tabloid drama if one of the reporters or photographers managed to catch him - though he’d been kind enough to forewarn Hermione before slipping out of the castle, if only so she could hide the remaining members of the DA as well. 

Nobody wanted to be famous when it came at so steep a cost as the echoes of people who weren’t there anymore. Harry had grown accustomed to that bitter truth over the course of his magical career, but for all of his friends it was an honesty that was virulent and raw, scraping at their insides in ways that seemed hauntingly familiar. If he could spare them the cameras and the questions, he would - but not if it meant lingering long enough to get caught himself.

He’d been so quick though, he’d failed to bring much by way of distraction. His mind was mulling hazily over his coming exams and present homework, but no major epiphanies rolled in without the texts in front of him. His mind was shifting toward that strange numb place it had been floating through much of the year when he heard the crunch of footsteps and found his hand falling to his wand even before he glanced over.  

What he witnessed was - not unusual, actually. Draco had been withdrawn this year, so the fact his head was down and he didn’t seem combative wasn’t as strange as it might have been once. They were both quiet, even when the other ultimately opted to hunker down beside Harry - striking and strange on the ground, and looking just as miserable and disgusted as Harry felt.

He looked away. The animosity of before was - so small now, he couldn’t even muster up the energy to be annoyed by the other’s presence. With all that had happened, it just seemed so - pathetically pointless.

“I take it the vultures have arrived, then.” It was a strange olive branch, the idea that he could share in contempt with Draco Malfoy, and feel both justified and at ease with it. But it felt better, overall, than sitting in awkward and unhappy silence while they waited for the passing of fools and war profiteers.  

@technicallyaferret

[necessary-disorder]