Serpentinelion drabble mini-fest
Jun. 22nd, 2008 01:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blamebramptonI think this is probably the first short short story I have written since I was about ten ... For ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
serpentinelion's mini-fest, and do check out other entries from pushdragon, sansa1970, lillithium, liriaen, potteresque_ire and rickey_a. They are all brilliant!
Title: Decline and Fall
Author: blamebrampton
Rating: Soft R
Words: 500
Summary: The inside of her head was not where they ought to be.
A/N: Thankslegomymalfoy, and pushdragon and the fiendfyre girls for the idea, encouragement and help.
Warnings: Ginny POV.
“Where is it this time?”
“Rome, but I’m not going.”
Harry kissed the top of Ginny’s head as he walked past her chair. “It’s too much fuss.”
“But all the others will be there.”
“S’pose. I’m off to shower. Coming to bed?”
“In a minute.”
Ginny watched him walk away. She glanced back down at the table, where the Prophet’s front page was dominated by news of the upcoming conference. Hermione smiled shyly out of a photograph. Behind her Draco Malfoy walked purposefully across the frame. He glanced towards the camera, august and imperial, then stalked away. She watched it three times.
She turned the paper over, and walked to their bedroom, where the rest of this conversation always happened.
The first line was hers. “Are you sure?”
Harry’s damp head poked out of the bathroom. “Sure of what?”
“Missing the Senate, it’s a chance to network.”
Look down from the Palantine hill for him.
“You know I don’t care about that.”
There was the smile, and those honest eyes. He tucked his towel around his hips as she slid past him, reaching for her toothbrush.
“But you can talk to other Aurors about your reforms.”
Walk down narrow streets, following a fair head.
“Kingsley can do it.”
“Harry, you know you’re the one they want to meet.”
Meet with that other in an ancient hotel.
“That’s just fame.”
“It’s your triumph.”
Over her, over him.
She put her toothbrush down and smiled at him in the mirror.
“You want to, admit it.”
“I want to stay here, with you.” He stood close behind her and nuzzled her hair.
She only knew about the once. Before he had come to find her, in the weeks after the war ended. When everything was insane. When people turned to each other blindly. Neville had let it slip over too much drink, a secret so incomprehensible it couldn’t be kept.
“You should go.”
There were many times she didn’t know about, could not be sure of. Every time she let him leave, she imagined him wrapped around that pale, straight form.
“You should come to bed.” He dropped the towel, and she felt his cock begin to rouse, nudging her from behind as his hands slipped the sundress from her shoulders.
She went. And while he murmured gentle words and made soft movements, she pictured him hard and desperate, bruising cool whiteness beneath hands he never let be strong with her. Saying cruel things, and being loathed in return. An eternal contest, dictated by need. Not the peaceful concord of their home.
The pictures in her mind played their part. She pulled him tight, and wondered if he would notice if she tilted her hips too far, moved him to that place strange for her, perhaps familiar to him.
And tomorrow, when he would go, but with her scent on him, she wondered if the other would know it. And whether she would haunt his bed as surely as he haunted hers.
serpentinelion's mini-fest, and do check out other entries from pushdragon, sansa1970, lillithium, liriaen, potteresque_ire and rickey_a. They are all brilliant! Title: Decline and Fall
Author: blamebrampton
Rating: Soft R
Words: 500
Summary: The inside of her head was not where they ought to be.
A/N: Thanks
legomymalfoy, and pushdragon and the fiendfyre girls for the idea, encouragement and help.Warnings: Ginny POV.
“Where is it this time?”
“Rome, but I’m not going.”
Harry kissed the top of Ginny’s head as he walked past her chair. “It’s too much fuss.”
“But all the others will be there.”
“S’pose. I’m off to shower. Coming to bed?”
“In a minute.”
Ginny watched him walk away. She glanced back down at the table, where the Prophet’s front page was dominated by news of the upcoming conference. Hermione smiled shyly out of a photograph. Behind her Draco Malfoy walked purposefully across the frame. He glanced towards the camera, august and imperial, then stalked away. She watched it three times.
She turned the paper over, and walked to their bedroom, where the rest of this conversation always happened.
The first line was hers. “Are you sure?”
Harry’s damp head poked out of the bathroom. “Sure of what?”
“Missing the Senate, it’s a chance to network.”
Look down from the Palantine hill for him.
“You know I don’t care about that.”
There was the smile, and those honest eyes. He tucked his towel around his hips as she slid past him, reaching for her toothbrush.
“But you can talk to other Aurors about your reforms.”
Walk down narrow streets, following a fair head.
“Kingsley can do it.”
“Harry, you know you’re the one they want to meet.”
Meet with that other in an ancient hotel.
“That’s just fame.”
“It’s your triumph.”
Over her, over him.
She put her toothbrush down and smiled at him in the mirror.
“You want to, admit it.”
“I want to stay here, with you.” He stood close behind her and nuzzled her hair.
She only knew about the once. Before he had come to find her, in the weeks after the war ended. When everything was insane. When people turned to each other blindly. Neville had let it slip over too much drink, a secret so incomprehensible it couldn’t be kept.
“You should go.”
There were many times she didn’t know about, could not be sure of. Every time she let him leave, she imagined him wrapped around that pale, straight form.
“You should come to bed.” He dropped the towel, and she felt his cock begin to rouse, nudging her from behind as his hands slipped the sundress from her shoulders.
She went. And while he murmured gentle words and made soft movements, she pictured him hard and desperate, bruising cool whiteness beneath hands he never let be strong with her. Saying cruel things, and being loathed in return. An eternal contest, dictated by need. Not the peaceful concord of their home.
The pictures in her mind played their part. She pulled him tight, and wondered if he would notice if she tilted her hips too far, moved him to that place strange for her, perhaps familiar to him.
And tomorrow, when he would go, but with her scent on him, she wondered if the other would know it. And whether she would haunt his bed as surely as he haunted hers.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 06:01 am (UTC)I can't express how this is making me feel. I want to say devastated, but that's not it. It's... guh. So few words, and this should have chapters.
It's beautifully written, but the subject disturbs me. My first impression was to like and admire Ginny. But then... I thought - hang on, no! Because it's all conjecture for the most part - she's believing something that may be only her own imagination, and part of her seems to be getting off on the idea. She's creating her own martyrdom by nobly sending him off each time, rather than facing him honestly with her suspicions. Basically pushing him into situations where he can continue to sin in her mind, regardless of whether he does in reality. No, I don't admire her after all - and I suspect Harry's damned whether he does or doesn't.
Hmmm... maybe I'm just overthinking things, but this really has my brain and emotions going.
Did I mention that this is an incredibly powerful piece of writing? I'll just take my mental dissections over here and be quiet now, except for the coughing.
*hugs*
How's the ears, honey? Hope you're on the mend.
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Date: 2008-06-22 06:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-22 06:40 am (UTC)The look through a doubting Ginny's mind is quite powerful.
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Date: 2008-06-22 07:49 am (UTC)Poor old Ginny, I feel as though I have been very mean to her of late. I'll work my up to a long story in which she can have all sorts of exciting adventures and end up running off with someone who brings out her best points. You know, some time in 2010 when I finish everything else on my plate ...
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Date: 2008-06-22 08:33 am (UTC)And I like this description especially: "a secret so incomprehensible it couldn’t be kept".
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Date: 2008-06-22 08:57 am (UTC)Oh I am glad you liked that line; I could see Neville even excusing himself after letting it spill -- it's not as though it's a *real* thing ...
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Date: 2008-06-22 09:35 am (UTC)that being said, this fic is beautiful and heart-wrenching and after this week i've had makes me want to weep uncontrollably.
glad to hear your ears are a bit on the mend. also meant to write back to you today and you see how far i've gotten on that one [*flails*]
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Date: 2008-06-22 10:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-22 09:38 am (UTC)This is a gorgeous example. :)
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Date: 2008-06-22 10:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-22 12:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 12:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-22 03:10 pm (UTC)This... and the other piece I've read of yours recently... I am completely floored with the way you capture the way our mind works. *fangirls*
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Date: 2008-06-22 03:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-22 03:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-23 03:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 04:02 pm (UTC)The wanting to leave a scent and mark him in some way letting the other know that she was still part of the picture was perfect.
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Date: 2008-06-23 03:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 04:04 pm (UTC)Harry is sexy here. Towel. Removing towel. No more towel. Just stiffee, stiffee, stiffee!!!! *pant*
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Date: 2008-06-23 03:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-22 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-23 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-22 07:55 pm (UTC)Even if Harry isn't having it off with Draco on the sly, she's created this sort of horrible mental cage for herself.
Nicely done in so few words.
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Date: 2008-06-23 02:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-23 01:17 pm (UTC)(Waugh's Decline and Fall, by the by, often wars with Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm for the dubious honour of being crowned My Favourite Book Ever. I love it so so much.)
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Date: 2008-06-23 01:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-23 03:16 pm (UTC)And at the same time their marriage is so weak because they don't bloody talk to each other about the important things. Gah! It makes me want to tear my hair and scream at them for being so stupid - and then realise I've done the same in the past and should just shut up. ;)
I'm impressed at how much is here in so few words. :)
Also, cock!
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Date: 2008-06-23 03:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-28 02:17 pm (UTC)no subject
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