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DSOT: remember that?
I was going through some files on my hard drive and came across the original ending to Delicate Sound of Thunder, which I cut upon recommendation from my betas because the tone didn't mesh with the scene before it. But after all this time, I'm sure to be fortunate if any of you even remember the basic plot at all, let alone the nuances of tone, so here it is.
Tonight when I chase the dragon,
The water may change to cherry wine,
And the silver will turn to gold.
Time out of Mind - Steely Dan
Draco's meeting with the Ministry minions ran later than expected, so he was surprised that Harry wasn't waiting in Redmund's entrance hall as they'd planned. He was disappointed – he wanted to share his high spirits now that his settlement was finally signed, sealed, and all-but-delivered, and he'd expected Harry to be waiting to celebrate with him.
He pushed open the door and paused on the steps leading down to Diagon Alley, glancing around once more for Harry. No sign of him. A young woman perched on the wide ledge flanking the steps, however, was eyeing him rather blatantly. Not wanting to encourage her, he avoided her bold stare. He'd have to drop a word to Redmund that tarts were apparently practicing trade outside his very door.
"Got the time?" she called out, with a showy toss of her hair.
"Four thirty," he answered shortly. Where the hell was Harry?
"That's not what I meant, darling," she practically purred. Her skirt rode up to dangerous heights as she slid off the ledge, and she tugged at it briefly before flashing him a sinful smile.
"Look," he began, backing away warily. "I'm waiting for someone, so don't—"
"What a coincidence! I'm waiting for someone, too." She practically draped herself on his neck. "Someone exactly like you, as a matter of fact. Wouldn't you like to fuck me into the nearest mattress? I'd love that! I bet you're an animal between the sheets."
He was reaching for his wand in alarm when she nuzzled against his cheek and laughed. Suddenly, something seemed all too familiar about that laugh, and Draco took a step back in sheer astonishment.
"Harry?"
It was Harry; Draco could see it clearly now, could smell the tangy soap that Harry favored.
"You were expecting someone else?" Harry said, with a wicked smirk.
"Damn, Harry, that's one hell of a disguise. What were you thinking?"
"How you suggested we use glamours more often when we were in Diagon Alley. But to tell you the truth, I was expecting David Carmichael."
"Shit, I— I forgot." He remembered why he'd been so lost in thought coming out of Redmund's offices and beamed at Harry. "The Ministry signed! It's all over."
Harry's grin was infectious, and his enthusiastic kiss left Draco a bit weak-kneed. "Brilliant!"
"You should have been there, Harry. Redmund walked all over them. Well, with Carr out of the picture and Macumber on the Auror shit list after last night's fiasco, the Ministry team wasn't exactly up to scratch. The suits they did send over must have been ordered to play nice. Granger was probably the only one there with any credibility, and she wasn't supporting the Ministry's interests too stringently."
"What's happened to Carr?"
"No one was saying exactly. But since there's not been a whisper of last night's events in the Prophet today, I'm guessing cover-up. Everyone with any knowledge of Carr is scrambling to deny it before the cock crows three times."
"Damn them—"
"Don't look so disgusted, Harry, it ruins your looks. Let's face it, A.W.L. doesn't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. A scandal might cause the Ministry to take a closer look at what they're up to. They don't want that. Hell, I don't want that, and neither should you."
"What? Why not?"
"Because you and I benefit the most from their vendetta against Death Eaters. Every DE they pluck off the streets leaves us a little safer. I don't think I could even recognize all the enemies I've made. But Carr knew them all. He just got a little overzealous."
"That's putting it mildly. Draco, he wanted to kill you! He probably still does."
"Well, all right. More than a little overzealous. But after A.W.L. is done fucking with his memory, I'd be surprised if he remembers his own name, let alone mine." Harry scowled at that, so he added, "Look, someday when you run for Minister for Magic, you can promise to clean up the corruption."
"I'm never going to run. Anyway, haven't you always said that every Minister for Magic we've had has been an imbecile?"
"Well, yes. But see, you'd be our imbecile."
That comment earned Draco a sharp nudge from Harry. "Git."
"Hey, take it easy. You're provoking a very rich man!"
Harry's own smile was hard to disguise even behind the glamour. "Congratulations, then. I've always wanted my very own sugar daddy."
"Play your cards right and you just might get a lovely reward." He threaded his fingers behind Harry's back and pulled him into an embrace.
"C'mon, Draco, we need to celebrate. Where would you like to go?"
Draco looked at Harry in mock seriousness. "One problem. Once again, it looks like we're about to be front-page news. Let's see if I can predict the headline this time – 'Spy Malfoy caught in torrid embrace with Diagon Alley tart.' Any second there'll be graphic photos to go with that."
Harry turned his head, noticing the curious few who Draco pointed out with a discreet nod.
"Oops."
"Yes, oops does seem to cover it. Let's head home and get you out of those clothes." He peered at Harry more closely. "That is a glamour, isn't it? You didn't Polyjuice?"
Harry laughed. "No, don't worry. All the bits I need to fuck you into the nearest mattress are still intact."
"Good. You're making me nervous like this."
"And Hermione's skirt is probably not the smartest thing to be wearing at this point," Harry added with a lascivious smile and another deliberate tug of skimpy material. "She's a lot shorter than me. I'm actually freezing my arse off here. How do women pull this off anyway?"
"Must be in the genes. Let's go."
Harry didn't resist giving the growing crowd of gawkers a broad wink before he Disapparated. Smiling with anticipation, Draco recklessly did the same before he followed.
~.~.~.~
Tonight when I chase the dragon,
The water may change to cherry wine,
And the silver will turn to gold.
Time out of Mind - Steely Dan
Draco's meeting with the Ministry minions ran later than expected, so he was surprised that Harry wasn't waiting in Redmund's entrance hall as they'd planned. He was disappointed – he wanted to share his high spirits now that his settlement was finally signed, sealed, and all-but-delivered, and he'd expected Harry to be waiting to celebrate with him.
He pushed open the door and paused on the steps leading down to Diagon Alley, glancing around once more for Harry. No sign of him. A young woman perched on the wide ledge flanking the steps, however, was eyeing him rather blatantly. Not wanting to encourage her, he avoided her bold stare. He'd have to drop a word to Redmund that tarts were apparently practicing trade outside his very door.
"Got the time?" she called out, with a showy toss of her hair.
"Four thirty," he answered shortly. Where the hell was Harry?
"That's not what I meant, darling," she practically purred. Her skirt rode up to dangerous heights as she slid off the ledge, and she tugged at it briefly before flashing him a sinful smile.
"Look," he began, backing away warily. "I'm waiting for someone, so don't—"
"What a coincidence! I'm waiting for someone, too." She practically draped herself on his neck. "Someone exactly like you, as a matter of fact. Wouldn't you like to fuck me into the nearest mattress? I'd love that! I bet you're an animal between the sheets."
He was reaching for his wand in alarm when she nuzzled against his cheek and laughed. Suddenly, something seemed all too familiar about that laugh, and Draco took a step back in sheer astonishment.
"Harry?"
It was Harry; Draco could see it clearly now, could smell the tangy soap that Harry favored.
"You were expecting someone else?" Harry said, with a wicked smirk.
"Damn, Harry, that's one hell of a disguise. What were you thinking?"
"How you suggested we use glamours more often when we were in Diagon Alley. But to tell you the truth, I was expecting David Carmichael."
"Shit, I— I forgot." He remembered why he'd been so lost in thought coming out of Redmund's offices and beamed at Harry. "The Ministry signed! It's all over."
Harry's grin was infectious, and his enthusiastic kiss left Draco a bit weak-kneed. "Brilliant!"
"You should have been there, Harry. Redmund walked all over them. Well, with Carr out of the picture and Macumber on the Auror shit list after last night's fiasco, the Ministry team wasn't exactly up to scratch. The suits they did send over must have been ordered to play nice. Granger was probably the only one there with any credibility, and she wasn't supporting the Ministry's interests too stringently."
"What's happened to Carr?"
"No one was saying exactly. But since there's not been a whisper of last night's events in the Prophet today, I'm guessing cover-up. Everyone with any knowledge of Carr is scrambling to deny it before the cock crows three times."
"Damn them—"
"Don't look so disgusted, Harry, it ruins your looks. Let's face it, A.W.L. doesn't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. A scandal might cause the Ministry to take a closer look at what they're up to. They don't want that. Hell, I don't want that, and neither should you."
"What? Why not?"
"Because you and I benefit the most from their vendetta against Death Eaters. Every DE they pluck off the streets leaves us a little safer. I don't think I could even recognize all the enemies I've made. But Carr knew them all. He just got a little overzealous."
"That's putting it mildly. Draco, he wanted to kill you! He probably still does."
"Well, all right. More than a little overzealous. But after A.W.L. is done fucking with his memory, I'd be surprised if he remembers his own name, let alone mine." Harry scowled at that, so he added, "Look, someday when you run for Minister for Magic, you can promise to clean up the corruption."
"I'm never going to run. Anyway, haven't you always said that every Minister for Magic we've had has been an imbecile?"
"Well, yes. But see, you'd be our imbecile."
That comment earned Draco a sharp nudge from Harry. "Git."
"Hey, take it easy. You're provoking a very rich man!"
Harry's own smile was hard to disguise even behind the glamour. "Congratulations, then. I've always wanted my very own sugar daddy."
"Play your cards right and you just might get a lovely reward." He threaded his fingers behind Harry's back and pulled him into an embrace.
"C'mon, Draco, we need to celebrate. Where would you like to go?"
Draco looked at Harry in mock seriousness. "One problem. Once again, it looks like we're about to be front-page news. Let's see if I can predict the headline this time – 'Spy Malfoy caught in torrid embrace with Diagon Alley tart.' Any second there'll be graphic photos to go with that."
Harry turned his head, noticing the curious few who Draco pointed out with a discreet nod.
"Oops."
"Yes, oops does seem to cover it. Let's head home and get you out of those clothes." He peered at Harry more closely. "That is a glamour, isn't it? You didn't Polyjuice?"
Harry laughed. "No, don't worry. All the bits I need to fuck you into the nearest mattress are still intact."
"Good. You're making me nervous like this."
"And Hermione's skirt is probably not the smartest thing to be wearing at this point," Harry added with a lascivious smile and another deliberate tug of skimpy material. "She's a lot shorter than me. I'm actually freezing my arse off here. How do women pull this off anyway?"
"Must be in the genes. Let's go."
Harry didn't resist giving the growing crowd of gawkers a broad wink before he Disapparated. Smiling with anticipation, Draco recklessly did the same before he followed.
~.~.~.~
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I can see why it didn't fit the end of ATBT, but it's a great little outtake/deleted scene!
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I wasn't all that sorry to dump this ending after I rewrote most of the earlier scenes, but I thought I'd toss it out because
I am a narcissistic hoI thought it might amuse.Thanks so much, Emma, for the virtual chocolate! What a cute idea!
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I love Draco all squirmy with a female Harry in his arms - just beautiful.
♥
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calling it an out take gives me this sudden image of a blooper reel for fanfic [*stares in horror at bunny and hopes it will go away*]
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The story is so brilliant. What more could you possibly hope for? Special features, of course. A collector's edition with extended author's cut? ;)
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Loved it! Harry's so charming like that XD Eee! It's like behind the scenes extra on a DVD. Brilliant!
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*blissful sigh over the More*
*settles worshipfully at your feet*
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I did this, kind of, with A Thousand Beautiful Things, too - HP and the Slytherin-Coloured Lamborgini was posted alone because it was so lighthearted. My betas are terrific! They keep me between the ditches.
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