Ficlet: The Search (Snape/Draco, PG)

[westernredcedar]

Title: The Search
For: alisanne
Prompt: mentor
Characters: Snape/Draco
Summary: Draco has never stopped searching for Snape.
Length: 432
Rated: PG
A/N: Hope you had fun at the movie, m'dear! Thanks for the fun prompt. :)


Draco had been searching all of his adult life. He scanned every crowd for that black hair, stopped in to apothecary shops whenever he visited a new city, subscribed to expensive, obscure potions journals, much to his wife’s consternation. But he had long ago given up hope. The search had become more habit than mission, which was why now, standing in an open doorway face to face with the man he’d looked so long for, Draco couldn’t think of a word to say.

Snape’s hair was completely white, and he was in casual, Muggle-style clothing, but Draco had no doubt it was him. Snape’s dark eyes narrowed in the same terrifying way they used to when some idiot Gryffindor had bollocksed up a simple potion, and his wide lips drew together into a familiar thin line. Although he was almost 40 years old, Draco had the bizarre but vivid notion that he was about to receive a detention.

"Professor," he sputtered, and cursed himself for, after all this time, being so ill-prepared.

"I have not been a professor for many years, Mr. Malfoy." The sound of Snape’s voice made Draco’s knees shake and his heart hammer in his chest. He swallowed.

"Yes, I know. I mean, I’ve been looking for you." He took a steadying breath and met Snape’s eyes. "Searching for you. For years."

Snape’s eyes narrowed further. "Searching for a dead man?" He did not budge an inch.

"I never believed it."

Snape crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "What do you want?"

Draco started to panic, and hoped that Snape couldn’t see him trembling. What the hell did he want? Why had he come here? Snape had given him everything, saved his life, even died in his place. Facing him again, Draco was overwhelmed with history. It was nonsense, but all he really wanted now that he was here was to shove the stubborn sod off balance, wrap his arms around him, and hold onto him for as long as he could without being hexed.

He must have been quiet too long, because Snape sighed deeply and said, "I don’t have all day, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco blurted the only excuse he could think of. "It’s...my son."

"Your son?"

"Since his mother left, we need you..." That was not what he’d meant to say. "I mean, he needs you. A mentor."

Snape contemplated Draco with such intensity that he almost had to look away, but then Snape broke away abruptly and strode into his flat, leaving the door open behind him.

Draco grabbed hold of the doorframe, steadied himself, and followed.

Comments

[islandsmoke.livejournal.com]

BWAAHAAHAA! Nice!

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thanks, smoke. :)

[hogwartshoney.livejournal.com]

Oh squee..... I want moar!

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks Honey! This one does cry for more, but I'm pretty sure I can't write much more Draco than this without pulling him even further OOC. Oh well. ;)

[secretsolitaire.livejournal.com]

Aw, I love this!

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

Thank you, m'dear!

[bk7brokemybrain.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. I love Draco's need, his long obsession, and his physical reactions to finding their object. It's so good that this doesn't need to be pre-slash, he could just be that empty and missing his mentor. *bites lip*

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

You know, I find that I can rarely actually pair Snape with anyone but Remus (and occasionally Sirius), but I'm happy to leave vague innuendo and let readers choose for themselves!

Glad you liked this! I'd hope an adult Draco would come to appreciate everything Snape did for him. :)

[nimrod-9.livejournal.com]

Damned!! I mean...damned!! So many more questions!! Nice!!

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thanks, nim! I so appreciate all your comments. :)

[celandineb.livejournal.com]

Awww. I like that you leave it so open-ended!

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

Thanks! This idea was either going to be this short, open-ended thing, or a giant monster. I went with short! :)

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

Oh how lovely!
Sorry it took me so long to comment, but I'm away at Comic Con this week and have been missing things. I finally managed enough online time to check my Flist and found I have this fabulous gem waiting, Yay!
Thank you so much, hon!
I especially love how the reader can continue the story however they like (and I know how I like *g*).
Well done!

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

No worries, hon! It was fun to write for you, and to try writing Draco, who I never write. I read your Comic Con reports and it sounds like you had a blast (in long lines :)).
I hope your imagined story continuation was satisfying...;)