Fanmix: We're In This Together
Medium: Books
Fandom: The Dresden Files
Subject: Harry Dresden/Karrin Murphy
Title: We're In This Together
Notes: Roughly chronological. Explication, cover art, and zip link behind the cut.





We’re In This Together
a Harry/Murphy fanmix
art by Ardian Syaf

1) Introducing Karrin Murphy: Watch Me Shine, Joanna Pacitti

Better watch out
Going for the knockout
And I won't stop
Till I'm on top now
Not gonna give up
Until I get what's mine
Better check that I'm about to upset
And I'm hot now
So you better step back
I'm taking over
So watch me shine

She is determined, intelligent, powerful, on her way up—and this Dresden character could be useful.

2) Introducing Harry Dresden: I’m Still Here, John Rzeznik

And I want a moment to be real
Wanna touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

A rebellious, angry boy grown into a reckless, awkward man, he saves a blonde cop and changes his life forever.

3) Storm Front, Murphy to Harry: Not a Pretty Girl, Ani DiFranco

I am not a pretty girl
that is not what I do
I ain't no damsel in distress
and I don't need to be rescued
so put me down punk
maybe you'd prefer a maiden fair
isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

“Get it through your thick skull: I am not a damsel in distress and I do not need rescuing!”

4) Fool Moon and Grave Peril, Harry to Murphy: Real Life Version, Voxtrot

I see you, I see you
I see you, always struggling
To find some gentle song
Some mode of simple trust
and ways to understand
These reaching orchards
Of broken fame
Grown deep inside of us
By forced and troubled hands

She’s looking so hard, trying to make some sense of this weird and magical world; he wants to tell her, make it so easy, but isn’t quite sure if he dares, and she doesn’t trust him anyway.

5) Fool Moon and Grave Peril, Murphy to Harry: Faith, George Michaels

Oh baby I reconsider
My foolish notion
Well I need someone to hold me
But I'll wait for something more
Yes I've gotta have faith, I’ve gotta have faith
I gotta have faith, faith, faith, I’ve gotta have faith…

She doesn’t dare trust him, not anymore; all she really has faith in is herself, now.

6) Summer Knight, Harry to Murphy: If I Told You You Were Beautiful, Minor Majority

So, you want to play ”truth or dare”
with a guy like me - see what’s underneath
when I’m as open as the clear blue sky
and as far away - but if you don’t mind
then I could sure use a girl like you
would you come with me if I asked you to

He needs her help, her intelligence, her capability, so he asks her to come, and ignores that disturbing undercurrent in his own voice.

7) Death Masks and Blood Rites, Murphy to Harry: We’re Just Friends, Wilco

Forget the implications
Infatuations end
If loves so easy, why is it hard
I can't imagine ever being apart
I'll come back to you
It’d be brand new
But I promise
We're just friends

They’re friends, that’s all, good friends; even if she can’t imagine being without him now, that doesn’t mean anything, does it?

8) Blood Rites, Harry to Murphy: Winning a Battle, Losing the War, Kings of Convenience

Even though I'm not her minder,
even though she doesn't want me around,
I am on my feet to find her,
to make sure that she is safe and sound.

All the evidence aside, he really doesn’t need her, or worry about her half as much as he seems to; he just has to keep telling himself that, and it will be true.

9) Proven Guilty, Murphy to Harry: You’re My Best Friend, Queen

You're the best friend
that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend

He’s her best friend, and lately it seems like he’s her only friend; whatever, she can’t risk losing him, so she cuts it off before it starts, and wonders for months if she did the right thing.

10) Proven Guilty, Harry to Murphy: Ache For You, Ben Lee

and yes sometimes it's just desire
another problem there you really don't want
but anyway, I ache for you.
there's no rhyme and there's no reason
I know the secret in the back of my skull
there's no logic, so please believe me
our love's confusing, but it never gets, it never gets dull

Does wanting her really make him a horrible person? He can’t decide, but she doesn’t want it, so he keeps his mouth shut; better all around.

11) White Knight, Murphy to Harry: If You Were Gay, Avenue Q

If you were gay
That’d be okay
I mean ‘cause hey
I’d like you anyway
Because you see
If it were me,
I would feel free to say
That I was gay!

Mocking him about being gay for Thomas covers the uneasy longing, and anyway, he makes the most hilarious faces.

12) Post-canon, Harry to Murphy: Accidentally In Love, Counting Crows

Well maybe I'm in love (love)
Think about it every time
I think about it
Can't stop thinking 'bout it
How much longer will it take to cure this
Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (love)
Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love

For some reason it’s a hell of a surprise, realizing he’s in love with her, and that maybe she loves him too…but it’s hardly an unpleasant one.

13) Post-canon, Murphy to Harry: And So It Goes, Billy Joel

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break
And this is why my eyes are closed
Its just as well for all I’ve seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you’re the only one who knows

The worst thing she can imagine is losing him to this stupid stubborn fear, and she trusts him with everything else; it’s easier than she imagined.

*14) Post-canon, Harry to Murphy: Kryptonite, 3 Doors Down

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I'm alive and well will you be
There holding my hand
I'll keep you by my side with my
Superhuman might
Kryptonite

She’s his greatest strength and his greatest weakness; as long as he has her, he’ll survive anything.

15) There’s always trouble, Murphy to Harry: Brandy Alexander, Feist

He's my Brandy Alexander
Always gets me into trouble
But that's another matter
Brandy Alexander
…
I'm his Brandy Alexander
Always get him into trouble
I hide that I'm flattered
Brandy Alexander

Somehow, being with Harry just makes everything ten times worse for both of them, but she’s addicted now.

16) There’s always trouble, Harry to Murphy: Best I Am, Flaw

This is all for you
everything in this world
everything in my world
everything in your world
things won’t always go right in this life
there’s always changes
we`ll make it

She deserves the best he is and more, so he’ll do everything he can for her, fix what he can and be there for what he can’t.

17) Teasing, Murphy to Harry: The More You Ruv Someone, Avenue Q

The more you love someone,
The more you want to kill ‘em.
The more you love someone,
The more he make you cry
Though you are try
For making peace
With them and loving,
That’s why you love so strong
You like to make him die!

She loves him so much, with everything in her heart; he’s dear and amazing and completes her and sometimes she just wants to kill him. Twice.

18) Teasing, Harry to Murphy: One Week, Barenaked Ladies

It’s been one week since you looked at me
Cocked your head to the side and said “I’m angry.”
Five days since you laughed at me,
Saying, “get that together, come back and see me.”
Three days since the living room
I realized it’s all my fault, but couldn’t tell you
Yesterday you’d forgiven me
But it’ll still be two days till I say I’m sorry

They fight often enough that it gets to be a sort of routine; after about three years, Thomas can accurately predict their making up within minutes.

19) Capstone: Castles in the Air, B*Witched

So here we are at the start of this road
Together building castles in the air
Words we don't need; without you I don't breathe
Forever building castles in the air

It shouldn’t work, they’re too different, they should have broken up by now; but they just close their eyes and pretend, and keep going.

*Nicked from dark_puck with permission.