#Dron recs

[sitp-recs]

Hello! I just wanted to say that I love your blog and the recs, especially the insights and recaps you tend to give.

I was wondering if you had any recommendations for my favorite sort of rare pair Draco/Ron? Possibly a hurt/comfort or something?

Ahh thank you, friend! That’s so nice to hear. Lists are easy to put together but I’ve been trying to ease back into the individual recs which are a bit more challenging (but my favorites!). I’m hoping to have more time to read & rec in December. I adore Dron and I think h/c is a really great fit for them because it keeps it fresh and distinct from Drarry, I’d love to see more. A few favorites, and you can also check my main Dron list here :)

Flare Up by Lokifan (E, 2k)

Draco is still afraid of fire sometimes. Ron helps.

Resting With The Enemy by Lokifan (M, 10k)

(Pre-)eighth-year hurt/comfort. Ron’s used to obsessive people, but this is something else.

A Soft Spot for Lost Causes by Helenish (E, 13k)

"Remember at school? Weasel? You’re so poor and dirty?" Ron said encouragingly "You hated me." "I did," Draco said.

revelations soft and bright by luminae (E, 23k)

The war turned everything on its head, assigned new roles and made adults out of the impetuous youth. There is no right way to deal with that. Draco, though, Draco is doing it wrong. That's okay—Ron is going to help him. They have all suffered enough.

Dreaming Skies by @sweet-s0rr0w, @tackytigerfic (E, 20k)

Draco's life is going nowhere, so when Charlie Weasley offers him a job out on his reserve, Draco doesn't think twice before booking a Portkey. After all, it's not as if he has many other options. But when he arrives in Romania, he realises that nothing is quite what he expected...

In My Room by @wolfpants (E, 21k)

Draco fell in love with Ron when he was eighteen. It was never supposed to happen, but it did.

Is this It series by MildredMost (E, 52k)

Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy get trapped in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during an attack drill. HOWEVER WILL THEY PASS THE TIME?

Bonus: Dronarry

Not very gallant by @tenthousandyearsx (E, 3k)

“He likes it when I hurt him,” Harry tells Ron with a smirk. “And then you come in and soothe him.”

The Sun, Shining Above You by @oknowkiss (E, 14k)

Since joining up with the dragontamers, Draco counts his days in nights. Nights spent drinking in the commune mess, making poor choices he doesn't regret, for once. Nights he doesn't remember, and nights he wishes he could stop remembering.

[wolfpants]

You may have posted this before but do you have a list of your very favourite fics? Any pairing but my heart melts for Draco/Ron

Good morning anon!

Tastemaker extraordinaire @sitp-recs just posted a very fine list of Dron recs, including my fave by @sweet-s0rr0w and @tackytigerfic's Dreaming Skies.

Here's the full list.

Also, I hate to toot my own horn, but @dronarryfest will be posting next month so look out for some more dron/dronarry deliciousness there!

[peachpety]

✨dron✨ fic recs as requested, m’dear!

@sitp-recs has this fantastic dron list…an excellent place to start (and with bonus dronarry recs)

i’m also adding…

Inevitably Everything, by CheekyTorah (M, 8.2k)

Ron and Draco Go on an Island Adventure [Gee Thanks, Hermione], by @schmem14 (M, 15.2k)

(and, naturally, a self-rec sequel fic to my dron, A Weasel in the Hamptons, bc pshaw)…

Massively Magical, by peachpety (E, 3.6k)

and once you’re completely on board this ship, welcome to the club. we have jackets. 🧡

every day i inch closer to shipping dron. not YET. but soon......

[saintsenara]

Favorite Ron Weasley fics?

thank you very much for the ask @thesilverstarling! my king's birthday seemed like the perfect time to drop this...

six ron-centric fic recs

[for the best sixth son in literature]

envy by @floreatcastellumposts

harry potter & ron weasley teen | 8.6k words

why i recommend it:

ron's capacity for jealousy is something which generates a lot of fandom discourse - especially the role it plays in his relationship with hermione. this fic is a look at one of the canon moments which foreground this trait - ron's falling out with harry when his best pal's name comes out of the goblet of fire - and it does a wonderful job of exploring ron's less pleasant characteristics without bashing him.

like a brother would by @wolfpants

harry potter/ron weasley explicit | 5.2k words

why i recommend it:

i have a real weakness for ronarry - largely because i love how ron would give anything in the world to get to take care of his bestie. this fic takes that urge to its natural conclusion...

the english opening by lordrowantree

fleur delacour/ron weasley teen | 55k words

why i recommend it:

because it respects ron’s canonical rizz and asks the very important question: what would happen if fleur said yes when he asked her to the yule ball?

and, in doing so, it also respects all the rest of ron’s canonical traits - his intelligence, his kindness, his big-picture thinking, his sense of daring - and uses them to offer an exploration of fleur’s character which is considerably kinder and more nuanced than the one she receives in canon.

plus, it’ll teach you something about chess, which is a bonus.

ghouls in the attic by speechwriter

tom riddle/ron weasley general | 8.9k

why i recommend it:

because - as the author correctly notes - i have seen your heart and it is mine is an outrageously romantic thing for the horcrux to say to ron [especially because it happens just before voldemort canonically suggests that hermione is mid].

collateral damage by @danpuff-ao3

draco malfoy/ron weasley explicit | 16k words

why i recommend it:

i also have a weakness for dron - above all because the two of them are narrative mirrors, defined by their relationships to their families and their relationships to harry, brought into conflict by their polar differences [draco's wealth versus ron's lack of it, etc.], and possessed of similar personality traits [a desire to be recognised as important and be the centre of attention; a capacity for jealousy]. this fics plays with those similarities - and also with ron and draco's more positive shared traits - in a really striking way. i ship these two losers. i hope they're happy.

some i love who are dead by brightened

hermione granger/ron weasley teen | 2.2k words

why i recommend it:

because it's a lovely, bittersweet look at ron's character from the perspective of hermione's old age - thinking about the man he became and the husband and father he was.

[potterblog]

If you like both Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy as characters, please comment or reblog this with some fanfic recs featuring them both positively as flawed, nuanced characters without any bashing!

I don't care what ship or what subset of the HP fandom you're from! ❤ This question is for everyone, but especially the multishippers and the gen fic fans! 🥰 Whether you ship both Romione & Dramione, Hinny & Drarry, Ronarry, Dron, Drinny, Tomarry, Remadora, Lucissa, Tedromeda, Jily, Snily, RonLuna, Ronsy, Drastoria, or random rare pairs, or if you're a Snape fan, a Marauders fan, a Weasley fan, a Malfoy fan, a Dursley fan, etc.

I'd love to know your fic recs that are both pro-Ron and pro-Draco! Bonus if these fics are also featuring Dumbledore, Snape, Pettigrew, Sirius, or other interesting & complicated canon characters! 🥰

[schmem14]

It’s my birthday! Celebrate with me by reading my top favorite fanfic discoveries this past year. (Feel free to flail with me in DM’s!) I feel so lucky to have found so many wonderful talented friends and amazing stories! 

1. flour and flesh by foxglovetonic (nocturn) Hermione x Pansy, wc: 666 rating: M

(Mind the tags) This sapphic horror fic gripped my soul from the moment I read it and it lives rent-free in my head because of its amazing imagery and masterful use of unreliable narrator. I’ll be forever creeped out by carving pumpkins and pie (but in the BEST way, I swear!) This is the #1 reason Halloween is my fav. 

2. Usually by @lumosatnight Percy x Oliver, wc: 1k, rating: E

What’s not to love about banter, chess as foreplay, and stripping down until there’s nothing left but heart-pounding hot AF sex? This pairing is fantastic, and Lani’s writing is on point, as always, and I was incredibly impressed by the real live chess match taking place in the background. Read it, you won’t regret it! 

3. drink up, boys by @emilyrickman gen work featuring Parvati Patil, wc: 1.5k, rating: M

(Mind the tags) I URGE you give this gripping revenge story a chance! Between Parvati’s confidence and the absolute heartbreaking and empowering ode to sisterly love, this story gave me goosebumps. Emily is such a great writer, and I can’t stress enough how well the feels come through on this one. Also, give the song What It Means To Be a Girl by EMELINE a listen as you read, it will elevate the whole experience! 

4. One Woman’s Trash by @nanneramma Lavender x Hermione wc: 2k, rating: T

My friend Nan can do it all, and I don’t care that coffee shop AU has been done a thousand and one times before, THIS is the one to read! Lavender is to die for in this, and the fluff is pure, gourmet sweetness. It will have you kicking your feet and squealing by the end. 

5. Head Over Heels by @vdoshu Narcissa x Mrs. Zabini, wc: 575, Rating: M

This itty bitty fic is singlehandedly feeding my Narcissa Mommy delusion. I want her to step on me SO BAD! Ugh. Doshu packs a punch with every story, and the punchline of this one is sure to have you gasping like a beached fish. Please come scream at me about it if and when you know what I mean. 

6. Welcome, Peasants by @fluxweeed Draco x Ron x Harry, wc: 15k, Rating: E

It was nearly impossible for me to pick just ONE of my favorite fics from Dronarry fest this year, but I narrowed it down to two. Strap in for an hour and immerse yourself because the payoff is WORTH IT!  This one blends the juicy polyjuice trope with a healthy dollop of mistaken identity and a pinch of jealousy. Better yet is the twisty reveal and the absolutely smut-tastic finale that follows.

7. For I Have Found Salvation by @lumosatnight Severus x Harry, wc: 7k, Rating: E

Yes Lani, I couldn’t resist another! I feel like I have to preface this by saying I’m not usually a Snarry fan, but this filthy Priest AU fic is EVERYTHING. The dynamic of guilt and forbidden church sex (while church is IN SESSION) is so fucking delectable. I’m going to just say it and embarrass myself: Insta-Wank Bank. Yep. 

8. Nightswimming by @sweet-s0rr0w Draco x Ron (x Harry), wc: 5k, Rating: M

…Which brings me to my SECOND Dronarry fest pick from this year, and I love it so much because it’s all banter and hypotheticals. Draco and Harry are a couple, but Draco and Ron share a car ride where it comes out that maybe they’ve been considering a three-way with Ron. They don’t even fuck, but the tension of them just talking about it is too hot to handle. Bonus: There’s art at the end! 

9. Mistletoe Mojito by @amethystheart2421 Sybill x Severus, wc: 3k, Rating: E

This fic knocked me flat on my ass. This lust potion fueled one-night stand fic had me laughing and crying (from hilarity and absurdity and sadness) all at once. Such delightful writing, and the perfect example of crack taken seriously. 

10. All That Is Beautiful, Burns In The Making by @sailtomarina Narcissa x Bill, wc: 8k, Rating: E

Narcissa is hot. Bill is hot. We all know this from canon, but imagine they get together and how much hotter they are as a couple! This fic contains such delights as werewolf Bill, seduction, forbidden love, infidelity, knotting, endless refractory periods, voyeurism, rough sex, and mating. It’s not quite A/B/O but it has a lot of the elements that make it such a juicy AU.

11. A Perfect Answer by @p1013 Draco x Harry wc: 9k, Rating: E

Downton Abbey AU. Harry is Draco’s valet and the love is very much forbidden. Contains: pining, jealousy, decorum, emerald cufflinks that Draco favours, and BATHS. Something about it reminds me of Jane Eyre, though I know that’s a different time period and there’s no crazy wife in the attic. I loved this fic so much because it was a well-written AU and it brought a breath of fresh air to an old favorite otp. The angst is divine, and the ending is such a lovely payoff. Enjoy! 

[danpuff-ao3]

For anyone looking for Christmas fics this holiday season, I have a series of 3 fics that might interest you! Lots of holiday romance with different ships that I wrote a few years ago, and I'm very fond of.

The Perfect Tree

Neville/Percy. Rated: T. Words: 9,043. Awkward romance.

Percy is looking for the Christmas tree. Neville helps him find it.

The Christmas Prince

Harry/Severus. Rated: T. Words: 13,750. Matchmaking. Blind date.

Harry and Snape are (kind of) set up on a blind date. Romance and chaos ensues.

Holidate

Draco/Ron. Ginny/Pansy. Rated: T. Words: 11,376. Fake dating. Getting together. Getting back together.

Draco and Ginny aren't ready to come out, so they decide to "date" for the holiday.

And if you're looking for more, I have all of my Christmas stories collected here.

[getawayfox]

Draco rattles around in his brain for something to talk about, something beyond the immediate obvious—we are lying in bed together, we are spooning, you are shirtless, you are holding my hand, my chest feels like it’s on fire, my head is as light as air, do you feel it too? I will die if I get hard, I might die if you change your mind about me.

Quote from beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking fic with impeccable vibes In My Room by @wolfpants (draco/ron, E, 21k)

[fluxweeed]

thank you for keeping dron(arry) alive always ur a real one

AH i wish i could take credit for any kind of fandom good deed but just as i hadn't read any dronarry when i first wrote them*, i've also barely read any dron 😅 i just had that stupid concept in my head for ages and it was never clicking with drarry! had to swap hjp out for someone less camera-shy lmao. but thank u for thinking so highly of me, anon!!

*dronarry was so rare back then that idek if it was even commonly called "dronarry"? i remember when tagging the tumblr post for the fic, i made a little joke to myself like "lmao nobody follows the 'dronarry' tag do they" + when i was looking for betas on discord i had to say "ron/harry/draco" bc i thought nobody would know what i meant by dronarry 🥲 i fully assumed literally nobody would read that pairing!! thrilled to be living in a world where these boys are all banging each other on the regular 🥹

[dewitty1]

Fic Recs Wrap Up - April 2023(ノﾟ∀ﾟ)ノ⌒･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*☆

Pages of You by wolfpants @wolfpants

Summer, 1980. Harry is floating between university and becoming a Real Certified Adult. He’s not ready. He really isn’t.

In a desperate attempt to have the Best Last Summer ever, he takes a casual job at his godfather’s bookshop in London, starts an illicit pen pal affair with a wordy posh boy that he’s catching feelings for, all while dealing with the son of Sirius’s business rival, one Draco Malfoy, insufferable know-it-all extraordinaire.

A story about trying to figure out who you are, where you’re going in life, and who you want to take along with you. Rec Post

Once More With Feeling by InnerLilith

Draco is dosed with a consummation-compelling potion, with Harry Potter as his intended. It’s a cruel irony, because he’s wanted Potter for years. But not like this.

In which the boys try to deal with the fallout from an excruciating fuck-or-die, and end up with much more than either of them expected. Rec Post

The Foxing Ring by Vukovich @vukovich

What. The. Fluff.*

Harry’s got no magic, one good ear, no great dating prospects, and a nice little wand workshop.

Draco’s got too much magic, a history of biting off ears, no great dating prospects, and a growing fondness for wandmakers. And a very fetching tail.

*and smut! Rec Post

any day now by oknowkiss @oknowkiss

Draco supposes he should be grateful. 

The rehabilitation centres were the Minister’s idea, or that’s what the Prophet said anyway. Their stated objective is simple: to provide a safe space for low-tier Death Eaters and high-tier sympathisers to reconsider the entirety of their life choices. All guests–because no one is a prisoner here, the literature brags–are to be provided with shelter, food, clothing, and the guided support of a Mind Healer via a programme they call “ideological restructuring,” which is, of course, mandatory. 

//

OR: Draco Malfoy considers the circle. Rec Post

A Soft Spot for Lost Causes by Helenish

“Remember at school? Weasel? You’re so poor and dirty?” Ron said encouragingly “You hated me.”

“I did,” Draco said. Rec Post

Ten Steps To Learn Everything About Draco Malfoy by bafflinghaze @bafflinghaze

It’s a horrible day when Harry needs to visit Gringotts: the goblins there detest him, and it’s a frustrating bureaucratic battle to get anything done.

But that all changes when Malfoy starts working at Gringotts.

What was Malfoy doing before? What is Malfoy doing now? Harry has an endless list of questions, and there’s only one way to get them all answered (visiting Gringotts extremely frequently), and Malfoy won’t suspect a thing.

Turns out that Harry doesn’t suspect a thing either. Rec Post

An Inconvenient Attachment by FangQueen @fangqueen

Draco Malfoy has a secret ― a crush that he’s harboured for years. He poured his heart out into his journals at school, but now over twelve years later, he’d rather just forget it all. He’s wrapped up in the world of being Pansy’s Best Man, helping her put the finishing touches on what’s supposed to be her happiest day, when the letters start getting leaked. Will Ron Weasley ever figure out they’re all for him? And if so, what will be his reply? Rec Post

Tiny Home by wolfpants @wolfpants

The last two people Draco expects to find chopping wood on his property are Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter.

But there they are.

–

Harry and Ron left the Aurors years ago to travel the world and make up for lost time. When they finally decide to settle roots back in England, together, building a tiny home in the Lake District by hand seems like the perfect plan. What they don’t realise is that Draco Malfoy already lives on the plot of land that they choose to build on.

A story about years of feelings, about weaving lives in and around each other, and about finding a place safe enough to call home. Rec Post

Here are a few more fics I've read recently that y'all might like to check out as well! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Nothing Like the Sun by Lomonaaeren

Harry finally realizes that he has trouble keeping lovers both because of his looks and because he isn’t very good at sex. He does what he can to alter that, but it seems he’s never going to be good enough to satisfy a wizard lover. When Draco Malfoy offers, Harry thinks a casual relationship with him might be the solution to his problems. But he should have remembered one thing: when it comes to Harry, Malfoy has a problem staying casual.

And Still I Dream written by greenmegsnoham @greenmegsnoham with art by Gaudium_Chara @gaudium6191 

Draco was beyond frustrated with the school's preferential treatment of sports programs over the arts. Determined to collect what is due, Draco must come toe to toe with the ever incessant thorn-in-his-side, Varsity Basketball Captain, Harry Potter. Though Draco may not receive the financial support he'd been hoping for, he just might get a boyfriend out of it instead…

OR

When you Dream a Dream, it just may come true…

Curiosity, Wonder, Spontaneous Delight by cloudings

After Harry hears some rumours about Malfoy, he becomes more and more curious until he just has to get some answers. Malfoy is more than prepared to give him anything he needs, just as long as he gets something back in return. Harry’s not sure why he’s surprised that it’s something moderately illegal.

In which Ron continues to get far too many eyefuls, Hermione has had quite enough with everybody, and Harry’s not sure why enemies to friends to friends with benefits isn’t enough for him.

OR

Harry becomes incredibly curious, and somewhere along the line ends up accidentally falling in love with Draco Malfoy. Because of course he bloody would.

A Shower, A Meal, A Nap, and A Shag by chickenlivesinpumpkin

Harry's supposed to be alone in Grimmauld Place...so why is there a Malfoy in his shower? And what's Harry going to do about it?

Part 1 of It Started in the Shower

Sunseeker by shiftylinguini @shiftylinguini

Harry is a struggling writer.

Namely, he is struggling with: writing his next book, dealing with his agent, finding a decent tea strainer, fielding his friend's concern over the aforementioned book, and figuring out who the cat loitering in his garden belongs to.

He also has a slight liking-Malfoy problem. Okay, he has a massive liking-Malfoy problem.

A Life Worth Remembering by Writcraft @writcraft

Severus Snape wakes in St Mungo’s, to discover that a potions accident has wiped the last forty years from his body and mind. Just twenty-five years old, Severus is reliant on Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, now both in their forties, to help him fill in the missing decades. As Severus tries to navigate a much-changed world, Harry and Draco struggle with a secret of their own.

( •ॢ◡-ॢ)-♡ I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I have! Happy reading, y’all! xoxo Carey  (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*💜💙💚💛❤💗💕💖

[laserswordtraining]

The Space Between

Rated teen. 10k. Ron/Draco. Eighth year!

Summary: Ron goes alone to catch Draco in the Room of Requirement, and they end up destroying it- it's generative magic clinging to them, drawing them towards each other no matter where they may be. What was an annoyance becomes a comfort as they get to know each other, and then a solution as they get ready to face everything else that's making sixth year the worst one yet.

[sitp-recs]

do u have recs for ron/draco? from friendship to relationship, either sounds great!

Hi there! Yes, I have a Ron/Draco list here. Enjoy!

[wolfpants]

Hey! I'm curious, pls indulge me: which book or fic that you've read in 2023 has made the most impression and why? x

Hi friend 💐

Okay, I have something rather embarrassing to admit: I have been terrible at reading this year.

I don't know what it is. I keep telling myself it's because I have so many writing projects on the go, one after the other (I'm just about to embark on another big one), but that never really stopped me reading in the past, so, I'm not sure this is a viable excuse.

My attention span is really bad at the moment. That's another thing. I've started books, wonderful books (In Memoriam, A Marvellous Light), but somehow I've got distracted along the way and when that happens, I find it really difficult to pick things back up again, no matter how wonderfully they had me in their grasp before I did the Bad Thing of dropping them for something else.

I hear all the time that as a writer I should read, read, read, and never stop reading, and part of me wonders if that lack of reading has reflected in some of the roadblocks in my own writing process. I'm not sure. According to ao3 I've written 163k words this year so far, and that's not counting any fest work that's yet to be revealed or WIPs in my folders, but I have to say, even though that's a lot of words, not every one has flowed from me easily. I've been constantly asking myself this year if I'm finally starting to run out of ideas (this is probably my biggest fear!), if I'm as mediocre as I tell myself I am when I'm at my lowest/most annoying 😅

I can think of one fic that really stopped me in my tracks this year, though.

@sweet-s0rr0w's entry for Dronarryfest, Silhouttes. Sweet really has this way of writing that draws a reader in from the first line and keeps you in the work's grasp until the very last word. It's an exploration of grief and loneliness and sharing and caretaking, and it also includes one of the most beautiful portraits of the Burrow I've ever read. It also features a Ron I love very much: blunt, gruff, confrontational, possessive, but ultimately loyal and kind and caring. Sweet is also great at incorporating dark British humour and subtle references that make me feel really at home whenever I'm reading her works. So this fic has become a little bit of a comfort read for me, in a sea of me feeling confused and lost over not being able to focus and feeling a bit disconnected from a number of things.

Anyway, this turned out way longer and more navel-gazy than I ever wanted it to turn out, so... I'm very sorry about that! x

[emsuemsu]

@hprecfest day 26: ending I can't stop thinking about

I love surprising and unexpected endings so much, and endings that I never in a million years could’ve predicted always linger on my mind. Of course happy endings (especially if it’s a very angsty or intense fic) have my heart, but there’s something about the sad, shocking and/or bittersweet endings that really do it for me. Check the tags (!!!) for todays rec before diving in:

clutched your life and wished it kept by @brightluminae 🩵 110,077 words, draco/ron

Ron did not want to get involved with creepy houses that seem to loom and things that hiss in the darkness. All he wanted to do was to finally get a lead on a serial killer that his boss refuses to even acknowledge exists and make the streets a bit safer again. In hindsight, Ron should have known that following Harry and his crazy conspiracy theory into Malfoy Manor would not achieve that goal. But now here he stands, the Manor brimming with something unseen, and whatever is stalking these shadows, it isn't going to let him go.

110k vampire horror dron???? Sign me the fuck up 💥💳💥💳💥💳 now this is a recent read (as in I just finished this fic at 4am today), I had a different fic planned (and written) for this prompt but here I am, rewriting this rec. I’m utterly and completely speechless. Shell shocked. This fic serves exactly what the tags say. I did manage to get so immersed in this fic that somewhere in the middle of it I was certain I had a stroke back when reading the tags - like they couldn’t possibly be true. There’s no way this fic ends like promised. And until the very last fucking letter of this story I had my hopes up. Silly me. I love this fic so much. It is a roller coaster full of suspense, emotion, it tore me up and didn’t fix me up in the end. I was clutching my pearls so hard reading this. The author does an incredible job building up the tension throughout the story. It has it’s dark moments, it has it light-ish moments, and the ending (and the whole thing tbh) for sure is going to stick with me for a while.

[saintsenara]

asenora i will listen to anything you have to say about these characters ever. please tell us what the tea is with dron

as i rummage through the backlog of messages in my inbox the thing that i have discovered is that you girlies [gender neutral] are absolutely clamouring for citizenship of dron nation.

[thank you to @spectral-kitty, @thesilverstarling, and two mystery anons!]

to which i say, the borders are open, baby. you just have to read the following manifesto:

why fandom needs to stop sleeping on dron

something i am continually banging on about, as regular readers know, is the harry potter series' fondness for assigning [male] characters to narrative mirror pairings.

exploring these pairings is interesting in and of itself without a romantic dimension being involved - i could talk for hours about the mirrored approach to guilt and grief in snape and sirius' characterisation - but it's also true that several of the most interesting ships which can be drawn [however non-canonically] from the text are between the two halves of each mirror pairing.

tomarrymort is the obvious one, snack [or starprince or snirius or whatever we're calling it] is starting to get the attention it deserves, but people are still sleeping on draco malfoy/ron weasley [and also, may i say, on lucius malfoy/arthur weasley and narcissa malfoy/molly weasley], largely - i fear - due to the sheer popularity of drarry and dramione.

i'll be honest that i really don't like dramione, and i'm generally ambivalent towards drarry, but i do love dron. and the narrative mirror aspect is entirely the reason why.

ron and draco begin the series as mirror archetypes within the genre conventions of a children's boarding school romp. ron is the loyal, humble sidekick of the everyman protagonist, draco is the everyman protagonist's posh, stuck-up rival. both are insiders to the world of the story - whereas harry, the reader surrogate, is not - who introduce harry to the positive and negative aspects of the wizarding world respectively.

as a result, ron and draco are mirrors in terms of personality, and are much more similar to each other than either is to harry or hermione. this doesn't, of course, preclude ronarry [a ship i adore] or romione [which i've defended here] or drarry or dramione [if ya nasty], but it introduces a specific - and very interesting - tension into the pairing which is absent from these other ships.

both ron and draco have shared positive traits - they're both loyal [and their loyalty is very practical and pragmatic - ron is not hagrid, whose faith in e.g. dumbledore is totally unwavering; draco is not bellatrix, whose faith in voldemort is the same], they're both highly observant, they're both quick-witted, they're both capable of doing the right thing - if not always immediately [which is, in fact, more admirable than being preternaturally willing to suffer and sacrifice], and so on.

they also have shared negative traits. they're both attention-seeking [ron fucking loves nearly being knifed by sirius and you just know draco was seething], self-aggrandising, insecure, sulky, and predisposed to jealousy.

and this is a gift for authors, because it means that dron butt heads in a relationship in ways which allow for real character growth... or otherwise.

one issue that i have with drarry is that it often feels like the change either one goes through within a fic is kind of out of character. for example, you have a harry who feels insecure and haunted by his ill-treatment of draco [this is a man whose response to committing attempted murder is to be raging that it reduces the time he has free to hit on ginny], or a harry who is chasing after a cool and sophisticated draco who eventually learns to open up [whereas if there's two things draco isn't, it's someone who keeps his thoughts to himself and someone who isn't a distinctly unsophisticated flop].

dron, however, react to conflict in the same way - which means that the two of them finding themselves in conflict with each other absolutely slaps. they also have similar levels of emotional intelligence, and are likely - if they're inclined to - to be able to communicate with each other and work through issues surprisingly effectively. they can be a mess, or they can be a happy-ever-after, and i like that in a ship.

but, while ron and draco are mirror archetypes, they are specifically children's literature mirror archetypes. ron's role as harry's guide to the world diminishes in the later books, as the series' horizons move beyond hogwarts to think about wizarding society and voldemort's impact upon it more widely [he is replaced by characters such as dumbledore]; while harry becomes considerably less bothered by the pettiness of draco's rivalry with him [concerned as it is with things like being good at quidditch and getting away with misbehaviour at school] as the enemies he's focused on shift to being the resurrected voldemort and his death eaters.

which is to say that dron makes considerably more sense within a hogwarts setting than drarry.

as i've said elsewhere, an issue i have with drarry is that it's frequently written in a way which suggests that harry and draco have a mutual obsession with each other - while the actual evidence of canon is that, while draco is [as his archetype demands] preoccupied with what harry's doing, harry rarely gives the impression of caring what his rival is up to unless directly compelled to by draco's own attention-seeking.

ron, in contrast, spends a lot of time noticing things about draco unprompted - he can, for instance, recall overhearing him boasting offhand about what broom he owns in philosopher's stone - and retaining this information in order to deploy it at the opportune time to get a rise out of him. he delights constantly in his misfortune [him being hyped for days because draco's annoyed harry gets a firebolt is beautiful]. he's ready to throw hands with him at any given opportunity, often giving those of us who thrive on cheap innuendo plenty of material in the process [draco finds himself, for example 'on all fours, banging the ground with his fist' after having ron's wand pointed in his face... same, girl.] and he tends to consider draco much more integral to the various shenanigans which take place in the castle than harry does [ron is the main proponent of the 'draco malfoy is the heir of slytherin' theory in chamber of secrets - and he is shook when draco reveals that he's wrong].

and draco does the same. he comes into the trio's compartment on the train in goblet of fire and immediately starts telling ron how unfashionable his dress robes are. he obsesses over ron's position as gryffindor keeper for months - and, of course, makes up a song about it, which isn't exactly helping him pull off 'i don't think about you at all', is it? - and ron is profoundly affected by the taunts in way that harry, who doesn't really care what draco thinks of him, isn't. and he constantly goes out of his way to provoke ron into trying to punch him [him shoulder-barging ron in half-blood prince just after harry's essentially outed him as a death eater in madam malkins... exquisite pettiness].

all of which is to say, their interactions feel very teenage and petty and silly all the way through to the end of half-blood prince in a way that draco's interactions with harry and hermione don't, and - therefore - i sincerely think that dron can be made to work much more plausibly as a pairing in fics set while the characters are at school.

my final point in favour of dron is that they mirror each other in their approach to their other relationships, and the tension this causes is really interesting to explore.

both ron and draco have mirrored attitudes towards their place within their own families - something neither harry nor hermione can have with draco for obvious reasons. ron is one of many siblings and feels overlooked in the crowd; draco is an only child and feels overburdened by the visibility, especially once his father is sent to azkaban. they both conform to behaviours expected of them by family [they are both in the same hogwarts house as generations of their family, they share their families' political views etc.]. they are of the same social class and their families both have a reasonably similar level of political influence [despite what we're told about his insignificance, arthur weasley is known to everyone in the ministry and he's able to throw his weight around to influence policy even before the promotion he receives in half-blood prince], but their material circumstances are divergent. they both heavily resemble their fathers - to the extent that they are immediately recognisable as each man's son - and spend their schooldays defending family honour by playing out lucius and arthur's own petty feud [lucius and arthur - and, indeed, narcissa and molly - are also narrative mirrors, and we deserve many more enemies-to-lovers fics featuring them]. and the course their lives take during the war is dictated as much by their role within their families as it is by their relationship with harry - the scrambling post-dumbledore order operating out of the burrow is a mirror image of the ascendant voldemort operating out of malfoy manor.

they are also obviously defined by their mirrored relationship with harry - most interestingly by a major similarity in their attitude towards him: that both struggle with how jealous they are of harry.

this leads to lots of excellent tension which just isn't possible in drarry or dramione. how do both sets of parents react to the news their sons are in love? how do ron and draco's relationships with harry change as they find each other? how does draco cope with the hustle and bustle of life at the burrow? how does ron deal with having to have dinner at the manor [particularly interesting because the world in which draco lives is one that's familiar to him - he's not going to be shocked by any of the weird stuff in that house, he knows how it all works, so he can ruin christmas by deciding to have his dad arrest lucius for fun instead]?

it's messy, and fun, and it sustains me.

and some recs for the lads?

collateral damage by @danpuff-ao3, which starts out with both of the lads working out their... issues with harry and ends with declarations of going to lunch with each other's mothers.

dance the night away (aka it's true love, you bastards) by evandar, which has as its premise ron and draco ending up, largely by accident, going to the yule ball together.

this great stage of fools by @nanneramma, which correctly demonstrates how ron is charming enough that him being supremely annoying is actually loveable.

[hp-fanfic-archive]

Rarepair Christmas Masterlist

find the full masterlist directory here

last updated: 12/17/24 | links last checked: 12/17/24

Microfics:

A Snow Game by siobhrag [Draco/Ron, G, 326]

A game of snowball went awry.

Baking Biscuits by keyflight790 [Draco/Neville, T, 531]

Neville wants to decorate some Christmas biscuits, but the last time Draco baked, it ended in disaster.

Baubles of Love by ArielSakura [Harry/Luna, G, 608]

Harry and Luna make their own Christmas ornaments and Harry thinks about how much he loves her.

*Christmas Wish by wynnefic [Harry/Sirius, T, 1k]

Anonymous asked: If you're still taking prompts, Harry/Sirius, Christmas Post-canon, grief/mourning, master of death, happy ending.

Delicious Love by ArielSakura [Harry/Fred, T, 721]

Harry's baking Christmas treats for a Christmas party, Fred isn't exactly helpful.

Mistletoe Woes by arynna [Narcissa/Lily, T, 199]

Hogwarts has enchanted mistletoe that screams at students it catches unawares.

Not Just Ornamental by Beth H [Remus/Severus, G, 527]

A Christmas Eve ficlet.

1,000-5,000 Words:

*beneath the winter snow by quidditches [Harry/Cedric, Not Rated, 3k]

Everything's so much harder when Cedric's not around. Or, Cedric and Sirius have a surprise up their sleeves.

*Brass Ring by Innibis [Harry/Ron, T, 3k]

Harry has dating issues

Chocolate & Starlight by Polly_pocket_0622 [Hermione/Percy, G, 1k]

What happens when two lonely hearts turn up for Christmas dinner at The Burrow? Molly is not above meddling and matchmaking to ensure that Hermione and Percy end up with a little miracle of their own.

*Grander Days Ahead by hazellepotter [Hermione/Fred, G, 1k]

Her dreams were always grander than reality. That was always an idealist's downfall, but not this time. For once, one of her dreams came true.

Merry Drunkmas by starrnobella [Hermione/Blaise, T, 2k]

His begrudging attendance at the annual Ministry Christmas Party and an open bar results in Hermione's unlucky pleasure of escorting her drunk and talkative boyfriend home after he makes an exit that no one in attendance that evening would forget.

Newsworthy by hazellepotter [Harry/Luna, G, 2k]

"Is-is he wearing a Christmas sweater with reindeer all over it to a formal event?"

*Sing Me a (Christmas) Love Song by andromedablacc [James/Sirius, G, 1k]

James is a famous Quidditch player, and once upon a time Sirius was famous in his own right.

Snowdrop by Hold_en [Severus/Hermione, G, 1k]

A snippet of Christmas fluff with our favorite swot and git.

The Stocking Confession by ArielSakura [Harry/George, T, 1k]

At the Burrow for Christmas, Harry sneaks downstairs after midnight - only to be joined by George for a little midnight confession.

triad by crazywineaunt [Sirius/Remus/James, T, 1k]

Padfoot and Prongs spend a cold Christmas night with Moony

5,000-10,000 Words:

Christmas the Granger Way by InsomniacAndBi [Hermione/Fleur, G, 7k]

Fleur didn't realise that when Hermione said they were spending Christmas with her family, she meant her entire family.

10,000-25,000 Words:

All I Want For Christmas Is You by JBankai89 [Harry/Sirius, E, 10k]

Harry thought that living with his godfather would be wonderful. He finally had a home and a chance to rebuild their relationship as godfather and godson. Unfortunately for Harry, things do not go entirely as planned when he begins to notice Sirius in a way that goes well beyond platonic love.

*Father Figures by JBankai89 [Harry/Remus, E, 10k]

“I like living with you,” Teddy said sincerely, “I get to be with my two dads that way.” Harry almost choked at his words. “Your two dads?” He asked. “Yeah, you and Daddy."

*denotes personal favorite