Elladan and Elrohir
T.A 3001
Draco was bedridden for two months, not exactly forced but he’d rather just stay on the bed and not irritate his injuries further, his injured arm not allowing him from spelling his bones and bruises to heal, but when they had finally taken the splint off and he could move his wrist, a few episkey here and there and he was back to normal, albeit sore at places but he could move about, which he was thankful for.
When he was bedridden, Arwen and her brothers Elladan and Elrohir, who he found out were his saviours, had often visited and told him stories and brought him books in Westron, on his request of course, the twins were never much for books.
He had learned all he could of the land he had ended up in, and he had to say he was in awe. The elves had such complicated histories, he had read it as he would a storybook. When he had found out Lord Elrond and his family were half-elves, he had wondered, were they the same as half-bloods? Did elves even have prejudice amongst themselves? They were such nice people, he doubted anyone was mocked because of their parentage. But you never know, nice people can hurt others too.
And also, he had found out that the elves were very beautiful. With that came thattalk that he remembered vividly.
One day when he woke up feeling restless, Elladan and Elrohir had helped him up and each supported a side of him and took him to the gardens, he could feel his cheeks heat as he thought back, it was a very embarrassing experience.
It was the day his preference for males were made known to the twins, who smiled mischievously when Draco had stared at an elf that Elladan and Elrohir called Erestor for far too long for just casual observation, he was drawn in by the way the elf had a grey glow around him, Draco thought he would be very beautiful under the moonlight.
Draco felt very inadequate in the presence of the elves. He had remembered that particular conversation about love and gender with the twins, who throughout the conversation gave him pitiful eyes and straightforward answers, which was not their usual style. He didn’t appreciate the pity, though the acceptance and difference in culture was more… enlightening and relieving.
"Draco, you are staring.” Elladan told him from his left, he had Draco’s left arm over his shoulders and his right hand on Draco’s waist, holding up much of Draco’s weight, which was not much, the boy was too thin to be healthy.
A healthy red blossomed on Draco’s cheeks, his skin was slowly shedding its grey and gaining back its healthy glow. “Just observing.”
Elrohir’s grin spread, “Yes, Erestor is very beautiful, especially under the moonlight.” The younger twin was on his right, his left hand was at the small of Draco’s back, ready to help if he should topple over because of his inability to balance in his injured state.
“Elves are very beautiful.” Draco had admitted.
“So we are also beautiful in your eyes?” Elrohir asked cheekily. Draco rolled his eyes, “Yes, if only you did not have that mischievous attitude, you would both be absolutely charming!”
Elladan retorted, “But we saved you, are we not your knight in shining armour?” Draco laughed, “Yes yes, you are both my prince charming.” Before he knew what was happening, both the twins’ lips descended on his cheeks, one on each side, and then they had pulled back, smiling.
Draco stared at them as he could shocked, “We are in public! You can’t just do that with everyone watching!” he whisper-shouted at the twins in worry.
“We are elves, elves enjoy and celebrate all that is joyous and wondrous.”
Draco rolled his eyes, over-happy elves these lot are. “Yes, but I’m still male, people will talk.”
Then he felt pain shoot through him as he was jerked back, the twins had stopped moving and was staring at him incredulously.
Then Draco was being dragged to a bench and set down, with both the twins standing in front of him with their arms folded across their chests. He shifted uncomfortably, the pain from the jerking just now still twinging up his leg. Elladan and Elrohir stared hard at him and he felt like he was in his father’s study room again, showing him his grades with his father’s disapproving eyes at being under Granger in grades and placement.
“Do you have something against love in the same gender?” There was no humour in Elladan's voice, Draco had never heard this side of the twin before.
“N-No!” He instantly retorted, then in a softer voice he continued, “That would be hypocritical of me.”
At this, their eyes softened, “Oh Draco, have you been mocked for liking the same gender?”
They sounded so soft and caring, pitiful even; Draco didn’t need this, he was Draco Malfoy, he didn't need anyone's pity.
“Nobody would dare!” He glared at the twins, how dare they think he was weak and needed someone to coddle him, he was not weak, and he had the life to show it!
“Then why is it that you think we should not show affection to the same gender in public?” They placed their hands on their waists.
Draco didn’t know how to answer, he knew the answer he usually gave his pure-blooded friends were answers drilled into his mind ever since he could understand relationships, he didn’t believe in them, but his reaction to them kissing him on the cheek was a knee-jerk reaction, how does one explain that?
He sighed and looked away from their piercing gazes, “It’s nothing, forget I said it.” He wished he could just stand up and walk away, but he couldn’t, and the people that helped him out wasn’t moving to help him go back in.
“No, you will explain. We cannot have you thinking like this when you find a lover in the future.” They did not relent.
Draco scoffed in frustration, what did they want him to say? “I can’t explain it to you okay? It’s just the way it is!” If they weren’t raised in that environment they wouldn’t get it.
They stared at him a moment more, then they sat down beside him. “Calm down Draco, we are sorry for making you angry. But please, you must be rid of this thinking, it makes us shudder at the thought that our lover would not want to show us affection in public, we would not wish it on anyone.”
Draco sighed, “We grew up in very different environments, I doubt you would understand. Don’t misunderstand, my parents loved and spoiled me, but being an heir means the inevitability of having to see to certain duties, marrying and producing an heir is one of them.”
The twins met eyes over Draco’s shoulder, the boy had never mentioned being an heir to anything, but now was not the time to talk about that. “But you are not expected to do that now, you are not in your past world anymore.”
Draco shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, “It is just how it is, I was expected to marry a girl from a reputable family of good standing and pure-blooded, to do this I must not reveal my leanings towards men, nobody would want their daughters to marry an unnatural man.” Draco’s voice was getting sadder and sadder, the twins could tell they delved too deep into the boy’s past.
They glanced at each other before Elrohir spoke, “Alright Draco, as long as you promise that you will try to change this thinking, we will pester you no longer.” They smiled at Draco reassuringly.
“I’ll try though no promises.” Draco shrugged again, he would try but introjected values are hard to remove, it would take more than some time to do so. Being in such an open community would help certainly but it will be long before he can be comfortable in his own skin.
After that the twins certainly never brought up the argument again, which Draco was glad for. Though they did begin to discuss the general male population around him, Draco assumed it was to accustom him to the normalisation of such romantic tendencies, it worked a little bit, but because of the nature of Elladan and Elrohir, it more often left him with flaming cheeks and curses following the tails of the brothers’ robes as they fled laughing from his chambers. God how he had wished he could finally walk just to never be there ever again when they talked about boys, he was totally in no mindset for romance, not so close to what had happened.