Since January 2020, I've been a member of the writing collaboration Seven Shades of Drarry, a group of seven Drarry writers coming together to write themed anthologies. Our second anthology — Seven Shades of Summer — is inspired by the myths and traditions associated with the Summer Solstice. My contribution to this anthology is teased here, but you have to click to the collection's account to see the entire story. The link is in my profile, or you can search users for SevenShadesofDrarry.


This work is part of the Seven Shades of Summer anthology, the second in a series of planned collaborative projects within the Seven Shades of Drarry collective. Each included story has been written by a different author. Please see the Author Profile of the Seven Shades of Drarry account for more information on the anthology, the collective, and each individual author.


Summary:

With the war finally over, you'd think Harry would finally be granted that "normal life" he's always dreamt about. Finally free from the Dursleys, from that nose-less megalomaniac, from Horcruxes, Hollows, Death Eaters, Dementors, Prophecies… you'd think that he, for the first time in his life, would be allowed to be just a normal teenager. You'd think he'd deserve that much, right?

But then you haven't considered Luna Lovegood. Luna, who has the most whimsical ideas that no one ever takes seriously. Luna, who apparently has Swedish heritage and knows about some strange Summer Solstice ritual that she wants to perform. Luna, who's so sweet and kind that you can't help but humour her when she offers you some distraction from your post-war confusion.

Harry knows he should've known better, knows he shouldn't have let her persuade him to go through with it. But he did.

And now, Harry's life will probably never be normal again.

Tags/Warnings: EWE, HP/DM, H/D, Drarry, 8th Year, Myths, Folklore, Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Dreams, Soulmates, Pining, Angst, Fluff

Word count: 5,516
(This post is only a teaser. To read the full story, please find it on the collection's account. The link is in my profile, or you can search users for SevenShadesofDrarry.)


Author's notes:

The ritual Luna and Harry perform stems from old Swedish folklore. According to tradition, this ritual is to be performed on Midsummer Night and, if done correctly, will make you dream of your future spouse. I haven't been able to trace down just how old this tradition is, but it's safe to say that young people all over the country, especially girls, have been performing this ritual more or less seriously for centuries.

Thank you, my brilliant Shady Ladies, for all that you are and all that you do. This fic wouldn't have been the same without you

English is not my native language so please be kind if you find any errors I've missed. That said, I'll appreciate any feedback you're willing to give me — follows, favs and reviews are my primary life sources.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR and associated publishers. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended. The comments and opinions expressed by the original creator do not reflect the views of the author of this transformative work.


TEASER


Sweden | A Midsummer Night's Dream

by Drarrelie

Excerpt


Harry can't say for sure when he dreamt about Malfoy for the first time. Probably, it goes as far back as the night after their very first meeting in Madam Malkin's. If so, it would only make sense. Malfoy was the first wizard his own age he ever met, after all. It must've made some kind of impact.

Not that it's important to keep track or anything; Harry's dreamt about Malfoy countless times after that. Anything else would've been strange, wouldn't it, considering how often they used to interact during his waking hours? And that's not even counting the nightmares. Sure, the Horcrux-induced visions of Malfoy had been gruesome to experience, but the guilt-ridden nightmares of a paler-than-ever blond lying on a tiled floor in a pool of blood had been so much worse. They'd been haunting him for over a year, waking him up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, eyes wet and burning, throat hoarse from screaming in agony behind the safety of the strongest Silencing Charms he knew how to produce at the time.

Then came the fire. Honestly, Harry has no idea which was worse; the blood or the fire. He only knows how fucking small and useless he felt every time he woke up after another failed attempt to save Malfoy from those raging flames. Sometimes, the pile of rubble Malfoy was perching on crumbled to ash right before his eyes, taking Malfoy with it. Sometimes, their palms were just too sweaty for him to get a firm enough grip on Malfoy's hand. Worst of all, though, had been the times when he'd managed to haul Malfoy up on his broom, only to feel him slip away as he dived for that damned diadem, watching Malfoy tumble to his death in a sea of flames.

Yes, it's safe to say he's been dreaming of Malfoy for the better part of seven years by now, even if it's impossible to pinpoint exactly when it started.

The first time Harry dreamt about Draco, though… It would be etched on his memory forever.


To read the full story, please find it on the collection's account. The link is in my profile, or you can search users for SevenShadesofDrarry.