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

[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!!