New Year, New Us
Dec. 28th, 2017 06:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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dracoharry100Title: New Year, New Us
Author:alafaye
Word count: 636
Characters/pairings: Harry/Draco
Challenge: Christmas challenge 2017; 'log cabin'
Authors Notes: Also for the prompt of 'New Year' atnewyearcntdown
"Well?" Harry asked, standing in the door with the rest of their luggage.
Draco took a deep breath, turning in a circle. When the brochure had said log cabin, it really meant log cabin. There was only the one room and it had everything in it. To the left of the door was the kitchen and a small dining table. To the right was an enclosed space for the bathroom followed by the sitting room and across from the door directly was a large fireplace. Above the front door was a loft with their bedroom. It was clean at least.
"It'll do?" he said finally.
Harry half smiled and shrugged. "We can try."
~~~
"Here," Draco said, offering Harry a cup of tea.
Harry took it without a smile. They'd been talking for a few hours now and while they'd reached some compromises, there was still one issue on the table that they hadn't resolved.
"Why did we come here?" Harry asked.
Draco took a deep breath and sat down across from Harry. "Because I realized that Christmas without you was intolerable. We've been married for twenty years and when I imagined waking up on Christmas, our anniversary, without you... I couldn't bear it. I hoped that New Year's could mean that we could start again. Maybe breach this divide and start again."
Harry shook his head. "I should be the one begging for your forgiveness. I was the one who..."
Draco took a deep breath. "You've already asked and I've already given."
"It shouldn't be that easy. Twenty years of love and fidelity and I threw it out for what? A whim?" Harry looked up. "Why did you forgive me?"
Draco sat back in his chair and carefully thought about what to say. "Because if we stayed married for twenty years... Harry, I still wanted to wake up next to you. I wanted to see your face across our table for every meal we could manage. I know several of our friends got divorced when they retired because they suddenly didn't know each other. Neither of us are the same men we were when we married -- people change -- but when we retired, I could still say that I knew you and that my love for you was as strong as it ever was."
"But --"
"No," Draco said. "It was just sex. You said it yourself. You didn't know the guy -- you just picked him up in the bar and had sex in the alley!" Draco swallowed hard. "It hurt. It will hurt for a long time, but Harry, it wasn't anything. I have your word you'll not stray again. I trust that you'll keep it since you've not yet given me a reason not to."
"Yes, I did."
"No, you didn't," Draco whispered. "We never forswore physical pleasure in our vows. It seems so trivial, but to me, it isn't. You didn't stray in your heart and your heart is what I want most of all."
Harry's eyes closed as if pained. Draco moved around the table and rested his forehead on Harry's shoulders. "I love you. I will always love you. So long as you love me, we will not be parted."
~~~
Draco woke up when he was drawn close to Harry, front to front. "Hey."
Harry smiled and kissed him. "It's midnight. A new year."
"A new marriage?" Draco whispered. "I, Draco Malfoy, promise to not let my heart stray. It will be loyal to you, Harry Potter, and I will not give up on us until death parts us."
Harry's smile turned soft. "I, Harry Potter, promise to not let my heart stray. It will be loyal to you, Harry Potter, and I will not give up on us until death parts us."
"Happy New Year, Harry," Draco said.
"Happy New Year, Draco."
Author:
alafayeWord count: 636
Characters/pairings: Harry/Draco
Challenge: Christmas challenge 2017; 'log cabin'
Authors Notes: Also for the prompt of 'New Year' at
newyearcntdown"Well?" Harry asked, standing in the door with the rest of their luggage.
Draco took a deep breath, turning in a circle. When the brochure had said log cabin, it really meant log cabin. There was only the one room and it had everything in it. To the left of the door was the kitchen and a small dining table. To the right was an enclosed space for the bathroom followed by the sitting room and across from the door directly was a large fireplace. Above the front door was a loft with their bedroom. It was clean at least.
"It'll do?" he said finally.
Harry half smiled and shrugged. "We can try."
~~~
"Here," Draco said, offering Harry a cup of tea.
Harry took it without a smile. They'd been talking for a few hours now and while they'd reached some compromises, there was still one issue on the table that they hadn't resolved.
"Why did we come here?" Harry asked.
Draco took a deep breath and sat down across from Harry. "Because I realized that Christmas without you was intolerable. We've been married for twenty years and when I imagined waking up on Christmas, our anniversary, without you... I couldn't bear it. I hoped that New Year's could mean that we could start again. Maybe breach this divide and start again."
Harry shook his head. "I should be the one begging for your forgiveness. I was the one who..."
Draco took a deep breath. "You've already asked and I've already given."
"It shouldn't be that easy. Twenty years of love and fidelity and I threw it out for what? A whim?" Harry looked up. "Why did you forgive me?"
Draco sat back in his chair and carefully thought about what to say. "Because if we stayed married for twenty years... Harry, I still wanted to wake up next to you. I wanted to see your face across our table for every meal we could manage. I know several of our friends got divorced when they retired because they suddenly didn't know each other. Neither of us are the same men we were when we married -- people change -- but when we retired, I could still say that I knew you and that my love for you was as strong as it ever was."
"But --"
"No," Draco said. "It was just sex. You said it yourself. You didn't know the guy -- you just picked him up in the bar and had sex in the alley!" Draco swallowed hard. "It hurt. It will hurt for a long time, but Harry, it wasn't anything. I have your word you'll not stray again. I trust that you'll keep it since you've not yet given me a reason not to."
"Yes, I did."
"No, you didn't," Draco whispered. "We never forswore physical pleasure in our vows. It seems so trivial, but to me, it isn't. You didn't stray in your heart and your heart is what I want most of all."
Harry's eyes closed as if pained. Draco moved around the table and rested his forehead on Harry's shoulders. "I love you. I will always love you. So long as you love me, we will not be parted."
~~~
Draco woke up when he was drawn close to Harry, front to front. "Hey."
Harry smiled and kissed him. "It's midnight. A new year."
"A new marriage?" Draco whispered. "I, Draco Malfoy, promise to not let my heart stray. It will be loyal to you, Harry Potter, and I will not give up on us until death parts us."
Harry's smile turned soft. "I, Harry Potter, promise to not let my heart stray. It will be loyal to you, Harry Potter, and I will not give up on us until death parts us."
"Happy New Year, Harry," Draco said.
"Happy New Year, Draco."
no subject
Date: 2018-01-03 04:36 am (UTC)But Harry swore to himself.?
no subject
Date: 2018-01-04 09:43 pm (UTC)(swore to himself? where?? I'm so confused.)
no subject
Date: 2018-01-09 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-09 01:33 am (UTC)