Fic: Rough Magic (H/D, NC-17, ~28.5k)

[birdsofshore]

Yay, reveals! Claiming my hd_erised fic. \o/

Title: Rough Magic
Author: birdsofshore
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~28,500
Warnings: Some mild d/s themes (a little light magical bondage), some mild consent issues
Content/Enticements: UST, first times, outdoor sex, post-war, the Forbidden Forest.
Summary: Malfoy's magic has run wild. But though wild magic is unpredictable and greatly feared, Harry's damned if he's going to let Malfoy rot in St Mungo's while they work out what to do with him.

This was a challenge for me because I knew that whatever I wrote for tryslora, I didn't want it to be something silly. So I thought I would write a short and intense PWP.

Ha. ha. HA. 28k later, I submitted this. The problem was that once I got started, I found I really wanted to explore what wild magic might look and feel like, and how wizarding society would regard it. I still had to keep it brief, or risk running out of time, but I enjoyed playing with things we know from canon such as Luna's mother's death, Harry's childhood wild magic, little bits of wandlore, and how Harry was able to gain mastery of the Elder Wand.

I also had a whale of a time writing Millicent. She wasn't really going to feature much, I was just trying to include some of the secondary characters that tryslora had requested, so I thought Millicent could work at St Mungo's, but then she marched in, all foul-mouthed and blunt, and, oh dear, I really loved her.

And the latest major self-indulgence I have to own up to is Axe-wielding!Draco. *head in hands* Oh, dear. I watched so many videos of men chopping wood, I'm ashamed of myself. Mr Birds says my new orientation is lumbersexual. I didn't dare give Draco a bushy beard or a plaid shirt, but I hope I managed to give some of you a little frisson at the thought of him all outdoorsy with dirty fingernails. :D

I can also now thank raitala, both for brainstorming this with me and for the constant reassurance that yes, I could write for tryslora, and that, no she wouldn't hate it. And for putting up with endless pestering to draw Woodsy!Draco. In the end, capitu started harrassing her, too, and she finally cracked, LOL. Here's her Draco looking as gloriously pissed off as I could ever have wished (I suspect this is more or less how raitala felt at being forced to draw him, heh).



(at raitala's journal here)

I'd also like to thank the wondrous who_la_hoop for betaing this for me. Thank you again, dear. And to lumosed_quill for much advice and reassurance, including my concerns about Millicent and the whole topic of hospitalisation and the stigma of wild magic.

Thank you to everyone who read and left super comments. If you didn't read it yet but think you might give it a try, I do hope you like it. Finally, thank you to the very clever this_bloody_cat for spotting me, even though it didn't really look much like me ;)

Rough Magic

Comments

[snowgall]

This is so fascinating! Now I want lauren3210 to identify the writing quirks of ALL my favorite writers :) Also, I wonder what you think are the clues that identify your *own* writing?

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

It takes reading a few fics from each author before I can easily figure them out, and I'm not sure everyone would like me pointing out their tells, haha!

Oooh, but my own? Um, I think I tend to use longer sentences, and I probably over-use the semi-colon, lol! And I use way too many similes and not enough metaphors. Oh, and if you come across a fic where the ending rambles on like the writer couldn't decide when to shut up? Yeah, that's likely to be one of mine too, haha!

[snowgall]

So interesting--thanks for answering my silly question! I've read several of your fics, and I don't think I ever felt your endings rambled on--in particular, I felt both Brevum Conspectum and (The Piece) I was Missing ended quite well (the other fics I read longer ago so don't recall the details as well). As for the other tells, I'd have to go back a re-read more closely to see if I could spot them. But it will be fun to see if I notice that about your writing in the future!

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

No, thank you for reading my stories, that's so nice to hear! <3 I have been trying desperately to work on my endings (I know I'm rambling, but I can't seem to make it stop!), but as the 2 fics you mentioned were my most recent ones, perhaps I've managed it somewhat? But yes, keep an eye out, we could all play a game of "count lauren's semi-colons" haha!