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Scheherazade Malfoy Author: Suaine "Come on, tell me a bedtime story." "You're off your rocker, Potter." "Oh, please, Draco." "Are you begging me Harry?" "Maybe... does it help?" "Not a bit. And stop pouting like that." ... "Alright then, I'm telling you a story. You can wipe that grin off your face now... and if I ever find out the Weasel or Granger know about this then you're dead meat." "That's what I love about you, your impeccable wit and refined manners, your bravery in matters of personal humiliation - as long as it's not your own, of course." "Shut it, Potter, or I shut it for you." * * * Once upon a time when wizards were still the most powerful beings on earth and didn't have to hide from Muggles but ruled them with superior strength and wisdom, in a time when the world was still the way it was always supposed to be... * * * "Draco!" "What are you whining about?" "You're doing it again." "What am I doing?" "The superior wizard routine." "And why, may I ask, is that a problem?" ... "Okay, okay, I get it..." * * * Once upon a time, when wizards and Muggles still lived together in peace and harmony. ("Don't choke on the words Draco darling, they're not poisonous despite what your father told you.") There was a great ruler and his name was Lord Riddle. ("Are you trying to annoy me?" "Will you just shut up and listen? The whole thing was your idea. I can stop right now..." "No! No, I'll be quiet now.") This great ruler, however, had a dark and dreadful secret. Every year he chose a different virgin princess to marry him but in the wedding night they all disappeared without a trace. Only one man knew what happened to these poor souls, and the man's name was Harry Potter. He was the son of the king and queen of Arabia, the country Lord Riddle now ruled. His parents were murdered and left Lord Riddle in charge of their son and their country, not knowing that Riddle had been behind the plans to kill them. Harry grew up to become a handsome and good man with a sharp intellect and a desire for adventures. Lord Riddle, however, always treated Harry like a servant, holding a life-debt over the boy's head that didn't exist. He told him stories, vicious lies about how his parents had died, and pretended he had saved the boy's life. What Harry didn't know, because it was Lord Riddle's other dark and dreadful secret, was that the boy was the strongest wizard in the whole world, even stronger than Lord Riddle himself, and that was the reason he hadn't killed the boy as an infant. Harry was in charge of the palace guard and had the doubtful honour to escort the brides to their death. He hated this more than the cleaning afterwards, which he was also entrusted with. They had a haunted look in their eyes when he led them to the ornate door, some even begged for their lives and others wanted him to send a message back to their families. This was decidedly worse than seeing them already dead, mutilated bodies no longer beautiful without life. One day the kingdom was bare of all virgin princesses and Lord Riddle threatened to annihilate every single human being until a princess was brought to him. Harry Potter tried hard to find another virgin girl, but Lord Riddle had killed each of them. That was when he came to Malfoy Manor and found the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, resting by the lake. The girl was so beautiful his eyes hurt from looking at her and Harry Potter fell in love with her instantly. She had golden hair down to her waist and deep silver eyes. He reached for a servant to ask who this angel was and if she was promised to anyone yet, but the servant laughed. 'That, dear Prince, is the bane of Lucius Malfoy. It's the baron's son Draco, a poncy, pretentious boy who no respectable princess even looks at twice.' Harry's insides froze. ("They did not." "You're telling me you didn't spend two years in denial about your sexuality?" "Well, it wasn't so much the liking boys part and more the liking you part that didn't agree with me." "But you couldn't resist me for long, eh?" "No one can resist you, my Slytherin sex-god.") Harry's insides froze as he realized that he would have to ask this gorgeous dragon to sacrifice himself for the sake of the kingdom. He would have to offer Draco Malfoy to Lord Riddle. Lucius Malfoy readily accepted to marry his son to the Lord, knowing that it entailed not just one more year of life but also quite a lot of money. As the two boys returned to the castle Harry was plagued with torturous thoughts of Draco's death and what the snake monster would do to him. Lord Riddle, Harry knew, could turn into a gigantic snake and greatly desired the blood of a virgin. At the door he gave Draco a look full of pity and grief, knowing that the fair-haired boy would not return. For once, Harry waited in front of the entrance to his Lord's lair, waited and hoped against hope that the dragon he had fallen in love with would return unscathed. No one was more surprised than Harry when the door did open and Draco stepped out of the darkened room. Harry could only stare like a fish at the apparition of his love. 'How... why... what...' And the other boy laughed, a pure, simple sound that filled Harry's heart and made him painfully happy. 'It seems your Lord has a tradition of torturing his victims before they die. He asks them to tell him stories.' 'So why are you still alive?' 'I told him a story about a boy-wizard, growing up with his Muggle relatives. He doesn't know that he's a wizard but he grows ever more powerful. One day, some of his parents' old friends come and take him away to a school for wizards. Your Lord was so enchanted with the story that he wants me to continue. Tomorrow. Now you're supposed to show me to my quarters.' And so Harry led his prince to the most magnificent rooms of the
palace. They spend all their days together, laughing and talking and
sometimes just sitting with each other. At nights Draco would always
go to Lord Riddle and Harry would wait. Every night his fear grew stronger
that Draco wouldn't come back, every night the Lord kept him longer. 'He's breaking you, my friend,' Harry said. The boy just looked at him with a strange kind of pity. 'I knew he would. But I had hoped I could be the one to bring him down after all.' Half-jokingly, Harry asked: 'What are you talking about, my dragon?' The affectionate tone wasn't lost on the fair-haired boy but his smile bore sadness and regret. 'If only you could love me... if only I were a girl, then maybe I wouldn't have to die.' 'What-' Harry wanted to ask, but Draco interrupted him. 'The story ends today, I put it off as long as I could but tonight the Boy-Who-Lived will meet his final fate. It seems I wasn't the stuff of legends after all.' Harry felt a heavy weight drop in his stomach, making him queasy beyond imagination. He couldn't - absolutely could not - imagine a life without his angel, his dragon, his Draco. There must be something he could do to save the boy. 'I want you to come with me today. Take your father's magic cloak and hide behind one of the large pillars. If I have to die, I don't want to die alone.' Harry agreed, too scared to voice his love for the other boy. He followed him to the door and this time he slipped through it, just behind Draco. Unseen he made his way to the closest pillar and waited. Draco sighed and prepared himself for the most important part of the story, the part that could save his life and that of uncounted others. 'We left our hero, the Boy-Who-Lived, in the throes of battle, face to face with his greatest enemy. Voldemort stared him down, a superior smile on his face. The Dark Lord knew that he had won already, with the boy's friends in his hands victory was his. The boy would never do anything that could hurt his friends. Self-sacrifice was - unfortunately - a Gryffindor trait he had inherited from his mother's family.' Draco let his gaze wander to the pillar where Harry stood, listening to his story. Draco hoped that the other boy would understand the meaning of his words, the fact that he was talking about him - had always talked about him. 'The Dark Lord let out a terrifying laugh and pointed his wand at the boy, who still didn't understand. He didn't know that he was the most powerful wizard in the world. That - if he so wished - he could deflect any curse, create any charm and even destroy the world. He even had a very limited power to give life to victims of the Death Curse. 'And so the Lord was about to speak the deadly words, but the boy still didn't raise his wand. Without it, even he had no chance to withstand the power of such a curse. However, in the last moment, his old rival, who had secretly been in love with him for months, jumped in front of the bolt of energy, sacrificing his life for that of the Boy-Who-Lived. 'In his rage the boy threw the deadly curse back at Voldemort and perished the dark creature forever. Then he sank down next to his rival, a fragile boy who no longer lived because he didn't have the strength to kill. He had been so intent to save his friends - to die for the world - that he hadn't realized how important he was to his friends and even his rivals, alive. 'As his tears touched the other boy he woke up and smiled at his
messiah, his saviour. They spent the rest of their lives together as
the closest companions wizardkind had ever seen.' 'Say, dear boy,' the powerful wizard began, 'Was that story your hopeful interpretation of Harry Potter's life? If so I have to tell you that he can't save you. There's a reason I take all the virgin princesses - and princes, as it seems - before he can lay eyes on any of them.' 'I know, my Lord,' Draco said with bowed head, 'Because the legend says he will fall in love with one and finally learn of his power.' 'I see your father taught you well. He's always been such a double-crossing bastard. Harry Potter will not save you though. He's mine.' With that the snake launched itself at Draco. Harry finally understood. He was a wizard and he had the power to protect his only love. He had the power to vanquish the Lord and reclaim what was rightfully his. His kingdom, his palace - and his dragon. The battle was fierce and bloody, but in the end the power of love prevailed. Draco and Harry lived together in the great palace and ruled their kingdom with wisdom and compassion. And they lived happily ever after. * * * "That was so sappy." "You wanted sappy, Potter. Could have been a lot darker, more gory, but I seem to remember you don't like the blood." "Mhm, kiss me..." ... ... "So, you ready to go to sleep now?" "Only if you tell me one more thing-" "And that would be?" "Are you serious - about the love thing? Would you sacrifice yourself for me?" "God, you really are daft. Harry, go to sleep." "Will you take the dark mark?" "I would rather not, as you can imagine. I'm almost running out of excuses though and my father is really serious about it this time. School is over in a few weeks." "... I'll protect you..." "Harry... you're talking in your sleep." "'m not... jus' tired is all... 'll protect you, you're mine... all mine." "I love you too, Harry." "... mhm... my dragon..." ***... but love prevailed and they lived happily ever after...*** The End Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their owners/creators/copyright holders. This fan-written fiction intends no infringement on any copyrights. |
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