hd_eighthyear | FIC: Deep Waters

Title: Deep Waters
Author/Artist:

huldrejenta
Prompt: # 48, submitted by

birdsofshore: Draco can't swim and is secretly trying to teach himself in the Great Lake after everyone else is asleep. Harry sees him on the Marauders' Map and wants to know what on earth he's up to. Cue Harry spying on Draco getting undressed, etc. Does Draco catch Harry peeping? Maybe Draco gets into difficulty in the water and needs rescuing? Maybe Harry joins him? Up to you.
Word Count/Art Medium: ~ 13,000
Rating: NC-17
Contains (Highlight to view): *Some angst with a happy ending. Sex in a public place. *
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Epilogue compliant?: Nope, not at all.
Author's Note: You left such a delicious prompt, dear

birdsofshore, and I simply couldn't resist. The story turned into something a bit more angsty than you probably had in mind for this prompt, but it's nothing too heavy! I do hope you enjoy.
Thank you so much to the mods for bearing with me, and to

twistedm for beta reading! I've made a few changes afterwards, so any remaining mistakes are all mine.
Summary: When eighth year turns out to be just as unpleasant as Draco had suspected, he looks for something positive he can do for himself. Like trying to teach himself how to swim in the Great Lake. Only things don't go as planned when Potter somehow finds out.

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This was really sweet <3

I loved Draco's growth in this, how he found something to truly care about. The sex scene was hot, and also very tender. The romance was lovely :)

Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I'm very glad that you enjoyed! ♥

This was wonderful, I loved it! I want to leave a longer comment later, but for now, thank you so much for writing for my prompt <3

Edited 2015-09-09 15:24 (UTC)

So sorry it took me a while to get back here. Just a stupid week. Well, first of all, MA, I do love a good Draco 1st person POV. I love the way you went for it here. Narcissa's importance in the story was very interesting, and the parable, and everyone's reactions to Draco, and the complexity of the 8th year politics.

Then the skinny dipping. I loved your sensual descriptions. I really felt the chill of the water and Draco's trepidation. I adored the snark between Harry and Draco. It was so full of life (and so lacking in indifference).

Yes, Potter, I’m a world class swimmer, I just get a kick out of almost drowning myself in the Great Lake when it’s a particularly dull night in the common room.

The sensuality of the scenes with Harry is delicious. Even watching him cut up a bacon roll becomes an erotic experience, let alone watching him duel. There were so many beautiful lines:

What does he look like when he takes off his swimming trunks and all that’s left is wet skin and rousing need?

And it was so lovely when Harry showed a shyer side when they get together. The blow job was just heaven, and there was so much tenderness mixed in with the hotness of these scenes.

I'm so glad that Harry is such a trusting optimist. He really does make us believe that everything will turn out for the best. The ending is lovely and I liked the moment where you chose to end it. Such a happy, hopeful note, but you leave the rest of it for us to imagine.

Thanks for the gorgeous job you did with my rather vague prompt. This was a real treat. ♥

I also really laughed at Harry bumping Draco's shrivelfigs - fnarrr.

You have no idea how happy this comment made me :) ♥ I wasn't sure if this was within what you had in mind for this prompt at all, so I'm really glad that you enjoyed :)

I've also become rather fond of first person POV fics, often Draco's POV. I haven't written it in fanfic before, but this story felt like it couldn't be told in any other way.

So glad you enjoyed Narcissa's role here, and that the descriptions and the snark worked for you. Oh, and that you enjoyed the blowjob - actually, it wasn't there in the very first draft, and then I took a look at your list of likes/dislikes and added that scene ;)

Thank you so very much for your wonderful and thoughtful comment, for all the details you've noticed and for taking the time to give me such amazing feedback! ♥ It means a lot.

This was fabulous! I loved your Draco here, his apathy and indifference and struggle to care about things after the war was just perfect. I thought him learning to swim was a very cool way to try and get over his slump, and having Harry spy on him and then offer to help was awesome. Really lovely read, and I super enjoyed the ending!

Thank you so very much! I'm so happy that you enjoyed, and thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful comment! ♥ I'm really pleased that Draco's apathy and his way out of it worked for you :)
Oh, and thanks a million for reccing this story ♥ A friend of mine pointed it out to me on Tumblr (I'm not on Tumblr much, I keep saying I'll try to use it more, and then I don't, haha, at least not so far), and I really appreciate your wonderful rec! :)

This was great. I love stories from Draco's POV and I thought you wrote him really well. I love that story about the human emotions. Did you make that up? One of my favorite quotes is "The opposite of love isn't hatred, it's indifference." Thanks for sharing!

Thank you very much, I'm so glad that you enjoyed this fic!
I did make up the story about the Human Emotions - I really like the idea of Narcissa telling Draco a lot of stories, and I wanted to show a little of what Draco is struggling with through one of her stories.
Thank you so much for commenting! ♥

There is so much to love in this story! I love the large presence Naricissa has in Draco's life despite not being physically with him and the way he is exploring one of her stories as he copes with the aftermath of the war. Draco's pop was great, especially his reflections on his friends and his fantasy about Harry during DADA. Your writing was so sensual. It made the water of the lake so vivid and the sex scenes very steamy. The dynamic between Draco and Harry was very sweet. I loved Draco's line about Harry making him feel more and him making Harry feel less. It really showed how they both benefit each other.

Thank you so much! I'm very glad you enjoyed the story, and thank you for leaving such a thoughtful and lovely comment! ♥ Really happy you found the writing sensual :)

absolutely beautiful!!! i loved draco's fight with his indifference. it was wonderful to watch his feelings for harry develop - or rather change - since he was obviously never indifferent towards him, after all.

Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the story! I really appreciate your wonderful comment :)

FIC: Deep Waters

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