Claiming my erised fic: I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor (H/D, 28k, NC-17)

[birdsofshore]

This was my gift for anemonen:

Title: I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Author: birdsofshore
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, brief Draco/OMCs
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~28,000
Warnings: Homophobia (internalised, plus verbal and physical abuse). Draco has off-screen sex with other men before he and Harry get together. Harry attempts sex with another man but changes his mind. Plenty of antagonism. Fashions and music are not necessarily contemporary to the time period of the story. I sincerely apologise to anyone who lives in Walthamstow; I hear it's quite a nice place these days.
Content/Enticements: Clubbing, the Muggle world, coming out, first times, virgin!Harry, experienced!Draco, voyeurism, semi-public sex, jealousy, antagonism, pining, UST, flangst
Summary: Harry felt lit up from inside as soon as he entered the bar. There were blokes dancing together, their bodies close to one another, not keeping a wary distance as Harry was always careful to do when he was near another man. God, he wanted this – wanted it so much he could taste it, a metallic tang of heat and desire. He suspected nothing would ever be the same again – especially when he saw who else was in the room.

I'm so so excited I can finally talk about this, and most importantly, shout my head off about the amazing ART which anemonen drew for it. LOOK AT THIS: Live here in the moment. I can't tell you how chuffed I was that Ane was inspired to create this stunning Draco. The whole picture fits my imaginings of the Tube scene from the story perfectly. And then I had to keep quiet and not say anything about it for WEEEEEKS! I nearly DIED. It's a gorgeous standalone picture of Draco so it won't spoil anything if you haven't read the fic, by the way. Please do leave anemonen all the love if you go and take a look.

I'd also like to talk a little about writing this fic, and share some images and music which inspired me.

I first got the idea I'd like to write a club!fic when I was in the LDWS drabble contest earlier in the year. There was a prompt about let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure, and I wrote a little thing about Harry watching Draco dance and not being able to resist the pull towards him. I wasn't sure whether dancefloor was one word or two (I'm still not really sure, LOL, the jury is out), so I googled to find out, and came up with the video for the Arctic Monkeys' song, I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor. I really love that song, so I watched the video, and was completely overwhelmed by the song all over again. The singer reminded me so much of a possible post-War Harry - spiky and confused, and a bit bolshy and awkward and very determined, and the lyrics got me right in the H/D feels:

Stop making the eyes at me,
I'll stop making my eyes at you.
What it is that surprises me is that I don't really want you to

I watched it about 10 times that day and a story started to hook itself into my mind - well, more of a FEELING than a plot - I really FELT this story for a long time and quite vividly. I thought I might write it for my fan fair piece about Harry taking a bet to drink a pint of Gamp's, but that turned humorous and flirty instead, and then I got my erised assignment and OMG. EVERYTHING on Ane's request list pointed to writing this story. I was SO HAPPY. I watched the video every time I sat down to work on it and it really kept me rooted in that emotional place. This is all sounding very pretentious, but I would love to have an anchor like that for every story I write, because consistency is a struggle for me.

Another thing which inspired me was this amazing piece of art by satanaya, Stalker:



This is one of my all-time favourite pieces of fanart. Draco and the bird (I think it's a crow, but give me poetic licence here!) look so compatible together, so when I was considering Draco modifying his Dark Mark into something else, the idea of a raven popped up. In mythology the raven is sometimes a messenger between the dead and living, and although I didn't manage to work that into the fic, I liked the symbolism of it for a post-War Draco.

I had so much help with this fic - I very much wanted to stay anon during the fest, so I didn't make any specific thank yous in my A/N, but now I'd like to say how very grateful I am to my cheerleaders. writcraft was an absolute star all the way for encouraging me. capitu and lumosed_quill listened to me moaning for weeks via email about how it wasn't coming out right. I think in fact I whinged to anyone who crossed my path for about a month, so if that was you, I apologise now. But the biggest thanks must go to dicta_contrion, who took this on as a beta job, while simultaneously trying to finish her own EPIC erised fic. (She said it was 'running a little long.' I didn't know she meant THAT long! Ye gods! :D) My own fic needed a LOT of betaing when I sent it to her, and my god, she transformed it. Grateful doesn't begin to cover it. ♥

Thanks so much to everyone who read the story, who commented and gave me feedback. I really appreciate it.

p.s. If you enjoy personal posts about writing, I really recommend tryslora's post about how she planned the gorgeous fic she wrote for me. I found it fascinating! There are photos of her notebooks with all of my likes listed out and little tick marks and things. :D

Comments

[dicta-contrion.livejournal.com]

Working on this with you was an absolute pleasure, my dear, and you undersell the first draft. That rooted, consistent feeling came through from the first. It was always beautifully done.

I love hearing more about your process! When I'm working on fics that have a particular mood (or that I want to have a particular mood, anyway) I often start by making a playlist and listening to it over and over, but I've never tried art and it's really remarkable how close that piece is to how I wound up picturing them. Something to try!

[birdsofshore]

Oh, you're kind, but you have forgotten the pain oh so quickly. :D MPDG!Draco! My attempt to convince you that it was OK to include something that was ACTUALLY ON MY RECIPIENT'S SQUICK LIST *head desk*. Not to mention the ending. You're a saint!

I've often used art as an anchor, especially raitala's work. I'm more of a visual person, I think - even with the song, it was the singer's attitudes in the video that really worked for me.

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

First, it was a great story! I was breathless reading it, I just couldn't stop.
Also, I love personal posts about writing but as I can't see Try's I'll just stick with yours. :)
It's amazing where inspiration comes from, isn't it? An overheard conversation, a half heard song, a piece of art...I am always fascinated by how the different the creative process is for people.
Oh, and when I recced this, my spellchecker insisted dance floor was two words, so take that as you will. *g*

[tryslora]

Sorry, I keep my journal flocked (because of work and professional writing things) but I'd be happy to add you! You should be able to see it now.

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

♥
I honestly thought we were already friends. Time to remedy that. *adds*

[birdsofshore]

Thank you so much; I absolutely love your description of feeling breathless ♥

I think dance floor is more correctly two words, but it doesn't look right to me, and the song title is only one word, so I dithered about what to do!

edited for spelling fail

[gracerene]

So interesting hearing about processes, I agree! Super cool that you had such gorgeous art and music to anchor you through this one. Really lovely piece, hon! <3

[birdsofshore]

Thank you, and thank you for all your modly support ♥

[tryslora]

Oh very cool! I love when fics have a root like that, where you know where they're coming from and they sort of bowl you over. The story was SO AWESOME.

[birdsofshore]

I hadn't had it happen with a song before, but it worked so well! I'd definitely try that again, because my writing time is so disjointed, but the song provided such a simple hook to get me back into Harry's headspace again each time I sat down to write.

I'm very glad that you enjoyed it!

[anemonen.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you again!! Still not over the fact that you wrote this marvel for me <3
Also liked reading of your process here, with the gorgeous art(!!) and especially with Arctic Monkeys (which also felt like it was especially for me even if you didn't even know that :D). All the love for young and adorable Alex Turner singing his heart out.
And massive thanks for reccing my art here as well!! Means the world that you loved it so much.
THANK YOU for everything ♥

[birdsofshore]

Hehe, can we spend 2016 thanking each other? Aha, maybe not. Your happiness (and that art!) repaid me 100 times <333

What luck it was a song you liked! Dicta suspected as much!

[anemonen.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a good way to spend 2016 I think haha! <3

And now I'm curious, what did you want to include from my dislikes? :D

[birdsofshore]

Oh, no! *major dork alert* You know the scene in the alley? It had a much more non-connish tone to start with. I'm so sorry! I hope it was OK how it ended up.

[anemonen.livejournal.com]

Oh! I can't really imagine what it would have been like, but I'm sure it would've been fine anyway. As it is, I'm happy you changed it because I loved that scene a lot the way it ended up!!

[birdsofshore]

I should have clarified - I mean the alley scene at the club with 'Adam', not the one in Walthamstow with Draco. Dicta did good betaing. I have to say, when I'm really into a story, I can be rather stupid.

I'm putting 'Adam' in inverted commas because he was originally called 'Nick' and then dicta pointed out that was maybe not the best name choice for a Muggle character in a gay club, in a fic with 1D references scattered through it! Another great save! :DD

[anemonen.livejournal.com]

Oh!! Haha of course, I should've realised that. See, I loved that other scene so much that 'alley' just made me think of Walthamstow. When it wasn't even between Harry and Draco I'm sure it would've been fine, although I think I'm glad that Harry didn't have to go through that.. Nick! Haha I'm not sure my mind would've gone there, but good point!

[capitu]

I loved all your moaning!

I mean, man, not like, you know what I mean. :D

I loved being there for you, EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T LET ME READ IT UNTIL IT POSTED. Which I loved. :)

Also, I just saw you're writing for kinkfest?!?!?! When did this happen and what are you writing? TELL ME! *demands*

Come on, Birds, tell me. ^^

<333


Yep, I'm commenting in two posts at once. Sorry! <3

[birdsofshore]

Ahehe, you don't really think I'm going to tell you what I'm writing for kinkfest? :D

Tut tut, secret claiming is secret. I'm telling the mods on you.

[lq-traintracks.livejournal.com]

LOL, I really did nothing. :-D Capi, she was a big slacker as well. ;-P We were just friends is all. And we love you. And we also know that you're often full of crap. I'd like to present this story as further evidence that I'm always right. As in, I told you that I could say with absolute certainty without reading one word of it or even knowing what it was about that it would be not only not bad but great. In that, yes, I do rock. \o/

And omg, Birds, this story was hhhhhhhot! Just fantastic. <3 I'm so glad you did Erised this year again!!! YAY Capi for some stellar convincing! <3