FIC: Les Enfants Terribles (Harry/Draco)

[bottomdraco-mod.livejournal.com]

Title: Les Enfants Terribles
Author: thusspakekate
Prompt: PROMPT # 118 by icicle33
Adapted from: Dangerous Liaisons/Cruel Intentions
Pairing: Harry/Draco. With side helpings of Draco/Pansy, Blaise/Pansy, Harry/OMC, Draco/Luna, Luna/Neville, Neville/Pansy, and mentions of Draco/Others. Everyone kind of gets around in this universe.
Word Count: 31,000
Rating: NC-17
Contains (Highlight to view): An epistolary format and unreliable narrator, an AU where Voldemort stays dead and Harry grows up abroad, Draco involved in depraved acts of heterosexuality, mentions of (mild) top!draco, a discomforting treatment of gender politics, and * major character death like whoa.*
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.
Notes: I almost bounced out of my seat when I saw this prompt. Dangerous Liaisons is one of my favorite films of all time and I've always wanted to see it adapted to the Potterverse (I even tried once before and failed spectacularly). Although this story has more adaptations than you can shake a stick at, I drew from three sources: the original 1782 novel, “Les Liaisons dangereuses”; the 1988 film adaptation, “Dangerous Liaisons”; and the 1998 modernization, “Cruel Intentions.” This was a painful labor of love that never would have seen the light of day if it weren't for my wonderful cheerleaders and betas. So much love and heartfelt thanks to mypetelephant, beililee, and KT for their comments and critiques, and to sonata_de_morte, whose relentless enthusiasm kept me writing even when I felt doomed to failure. Oh, and icicle33: as you will see from the warnings, I wasn't able to honor one of your requests. I'm so sorry darling, but I had to do it. I hope you'll forgive me!
Summary: Revenge is a dish best served cold.


Les Enfants Terribles

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, I am seriously looking forward to reading this. I just know it's going to be -amazing-

So excited.

[thania-hinata.livejournal.com]

I really want to read this..but my big squicks is here, major character death.
What should I do...:((

[shameful-desire.livejournal.com]

I'm in the same situation. *pulls hair* It seems like it would be a great read but it may tear my heart out. I may end up reading it regardless. I’m a sucker for punishment.

[icicle33]

*nods* Read it! Don't let the character death scare you away! It's so wonderfully written and such a good story. You won't regret it and just read some fluff afterward.

[olimakiella.livejournal.com]

You should both read it, it's painfully awesome and you'll hate yourself for putting yourself through it, but you'll never feel the masochistic joy that it'll give you for surviving if you don't.

[icicle33]

Don't let the character death scare you! It's such a good story and necessary to the plot. I promise you won't regret it. = D

[slythrine.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh *gasping loudly* this was very awesome fic. So intense dan a bit dark. Really written wonderfully and very good read too. At first I didn't really sure if I'm able to read this fic because it has one of my big squick (major character death.. poor Draco *sniff*), but since Cruel Intensions was practically one of my favorite film so you must be understand why I can't miss to read this one. And I'm really glad I read it.. :)

Thanks for this awesome fic.. ♥♥♥


PS: and Pansy, that bitch. l don't think she's got enough punishment in comparison to what she did.. :P

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you read it despite the character death, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

♥

[icicle33]

*Flails* I'm SO excited to read this, darling! You have no idea how happy I am that you actually wrote it. I'm going to be a bit busy this weekend, but as soon as I have a free moment I will read. Do not worry at about the character death. I forgive you. I understand that it's necessary for the fic. The only reason why I added that request is because I know character death scares away readers sometimes, and I didn't want that to happen to your amazing story telling abilities. Thank you for writing this and making is so long. I will report back soon with a longer comment.

♥ ♥ ♥

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Haha, I knew I was going to isolate a lot of readers with the CD, but the story just wouldn't be the story without it. It would just be...I don't know..."She's All That" instead.

[olimakiella.livejournal.com]

Oh...OH

I have been woefully negligent with this fest, I must admit, but when I was told today that this was posted... I had to read it.

And, boy, am I bloody glad that I did.

Can I tell you how much I LOVED that last line? I really REALLY did. I'm just imagining Harry's face and... omg. *le chills*

This fic... was amazing. I can't even... I just - WOW. *sigh* Draco's narrative was so real I was tearing up at some parts because I could feel his frustration in some places and his anger and hopelessness in others. I love how you made this your own. I could see parts that were taken from the book and the films, but there was enough of your story to fill in the spots that made it different enough to be fresh. That Neville was the one....

This is a favourite of mine now. and I don't even like first person told stories. Well done MA, WELL DONE.

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! ♥♥♥

[sherryillk.livejournal.com]

All I know of Dangerous Liaisons is from SMASH so basically I know next to nothing but Cruel Intentions scarred me as a teenager so I pretty much spent the entire story bracing myself for Draco's end. This has got to be one of the scarier versions of Pansy out there since she's generally portrayed as a BAMF or that awesome best girl friend of Draco's. I think you might have scarred me a bit there with her but I view that as a good thing so please don't take any offense at it.

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

I've never seen Smash, but I'll have to look up what they said about Dangerous Liaisons, since its my fave. And no offense taken! Pansy was the villain of this piece and I tried to make her closer to the Marquise de Merteuil (from DL) than Kathryn (from CI). Cruel Intentions actually softened a lot of the harshness of the original story (hard to believe, right?) and I wanted to retain more of the darkness.

Thank you for reading! ♥

[llaeyro]

I've heard of the prompt, but know next to nothing about it and I read this yesterday on my phone so I couldn't read the warnings - which turned out to be a good thing, as I probably wouldn't have read it if I knew about the character death in advance, and I'm *really* glad I read this! I loved the way Draco expressed himself, his snooty little ways of phrasing things were just perfect.The shift in Draco's way of thinking was believable and I love that we and Pansy saw it long before he did. The ending was handled beautifully. Where the whole fic had been written from Draco's mind, the sudden (but necessary) switch to the third person distanced us enough that it wasn't too painful. I liked how you kept to the third person after the event, the grief was there, but our focus was drawn to the retribution rather than the loss.

Definitely one to be re-read! x

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm rather glad you couldn't read the warning then! XD Thank you so much for your wonderful comments; I'm glad you enjoyed it! ♥♥♥

[tryslora]

Wow. Just... Wow. I've never read the book but both movies are favorites of mine and when I saw this I couldn't wait to read it. You spin it so well, staying true to the original while making it perfect for the world of Potter. Even knowing how it had to end I was glued to the story and couldn't stop. Kudos for a brilliantly done piece.

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Thank you darling! ♥♥♥

[biffes.livejournal.com]

OMG ILU You wrote an incredible story combining two of my favourite things! First of all let me say this: Cruel Intentions is a hard thing to do right. But wow, I can see all the little pieces you picked up from all the different movie versions of the novel, and most of all you got to the bottom of Sebastian's/Valmont's character. I admit I had had no idea the whole premise of the bet could be fit into the HP universe so smoothly and effortlessly. And Pansy was the perfect Catherine, the right combination of cruel/broken/jealous/wicked/intelligent/lost etc.
These two characters imo make the story and all the additional ones - Harry most of all - make us see them in a certain light. I loved that you managed to create a Draco whose goodness for the reader came to light through Harry's eyes. Wonderful execution of the prompt. A definite re-read!
Bravo!

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

You're so right, CI(/DL) is a hard thing to do right and I don't think I realized just HOW HARD it would be when I signed up, or else I might not have ^_^

And I agree that the heart of the story are the Dracoand Pansy characters, and getting them right was the most important part of it to me, so I am really happy to hear that you think that I did! Thank you so much for reading and for your lovely comments! ♥♥♥

[mizuci.livejournal.com]

Your story flowed really nicely and didn't feel at all like I was reading a 31k word story. The journal format was nice and I think the death hit me harder because he never got to tell Harry all of this in person. I love happy endings, but a story that can pull off a sad/bittersweet one also has a place in my heart. Anyway, great story!

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Thank you! ♥

[eidheann_writes]

Been hiding with this on my to-read pile since it posted because my poor little fragile and hormonal heart just couldn't take the end. But I pulled up my big-girl panties and finally read it.

I'm so very glad I did, which I knew I would be.
I loved it, which I knew I would.
I want to go and reread everything because I love what you write, and I always do.

Excellent adaptation, m'dear. ♥♥

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Did you actually know it was me!!? Was it that obvious or did I let something slip somewhere?

Oh, and of course, thank you darling ♥♥♥

[eidheann_writes]

Combination of mypetelephant as your beta and I remember you commenting in the prompt list that you had tried writing this before.

My brain remembers weird things like that. XD

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

You are too good! I was actually thinking that I might need to start asking other people to beta before I blew my anonymity for fests the other day, but then I chastised myself for being egotistical because who notices/remembers those things?

lol. You do apparently!

[eidheann_writes]

haha I've a 100% guess rate on omi_ohmy as well *sheepish* IT's really because I remember people on my flist or talk to regularly. Also, I have no life outside of fic and kids atm >.>

Use initials for credit. Most people can't trace that. ;)

Recs: B!Draco week 2 (per roundup)

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User eidheann_writes referenced to your post from Recs: B!Draco week 2 (per roundup) (http://eidheann-writes.livejournal.com/34921.html) saying: [...] the "what did she write" game that can be a clue. Or not.) Title: Les Enfants Terribles [...]

[appleling.livejournal.com]

Wow. This was positively riveting! From the moment I started reading this, I couldn't put it down. There's something irresistibly beguiling about the tone of the story that pulls (seduces!) you in, like a moth to a flame and consumes every bit of attention you have until you find yourself physically incapable of putting the story down even for a minute, because you just need to get to the end where you know the best bits are.... even if you know the best bits contain the death of one of your most loved characters *breathes*

I love that you wrote the story from Draco's pov. Draco's voice was perfect! He was the perfect shade of grey. He was flawed and morally dubious, and yet, he possessed an inner conscience that made him good - not perfect, not noble, not misunderstood or even innocent but good nevertheless - and that made him human. The parts he wrote about Harry and everything they've shared were emotional and heartbreaking and bittersweet and so beautiful that they made me cry (like a baby!). The very fact that it was all written from inside Draco's head made them all the more intimate, the more romantic, the more heartfelt and moving.

Frankly, I don't really understand why people fixate so much on the 'character death' part of the story instead of the beautiful love story that Harry and Draco shared. For all the angst and the heartbreaking parts, this is one of the most beautiful, the most intimate 'first love' romance I have ever read. My heart aches for Draco, for Harry, for the love that was cruelly cut short... but at the same time, I can't help but be awed and satisfied at the wonderful moments they've shared together, however brief they were.

And gaaah! Don't even get me started on Pansy. She was the perfect, scheming villain-y bitch. She was sooooo good at being the bad guy in this story, so close to the original bad guy of Dangerous Liaisons and Cruel Intentions that I find it hard to hate her. I find myself way too busy being awed at ALL her villain-y potential. She was perfect!

Seriously, 'awesome' doesn't even begin to cover how phenomenal this fic is! Brilliant adaptation of the original! Kudos to you, mystery author!

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Aw thank you darling!!! You are just too kind! ILUUUUU. ♥♥♥♥

[appleling.livejournal.com]

ILU too!! So much!!

[mypetelephant.livejournal.com]

Gah, I keep forgetting to tell you again how much I love this. I'm so glad you finally got to write a Dangerous Liaisons adaptation because your scheming Pansy is great. I loved Draco's voice, and all his confusion about ~feelings~ added a layer to the ending that was bittersweet (ha, I swear I didn't write that with the ending of Cruel Intentions in mind).

Also, the smut..*fans self*

Oh, and I loved that you dragged Luna into the shenanigans.

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Thank you bb ♥♥♥

[notearchiver.livejournal.com]

Finally got around to reading this, and it was superb! You did such a wonderful job adapting Dangerous Liaisons without losing the integrity of Harry Potter, and even managed to put the flavour of the original novel in there as well.

[thusspakekate.livejournal.com]

Thank you! ♥

[slashedsilver.livejournal.com]

Steeling myself to read this. I can tell it's going to be so awesome. Now all I need is a coffee and a sofa.

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Wow,that was perfect. I was engrossed through the whole thing. Beautifully done.

[aalens.livejournal.com]

Wow! You have certainly done justice to the prompt and to the original movie, which I loved, in fact I cannot imagine how anyone could have done such a difficult task any better. It was masterfully done, the whole fic was absolutely mesmerising. Many thanks for writing this.