#before that I had only seen them as a background couple in a drarry fic about alternate universes

[potter-loves-malfoy]

Hi there! I just finished “Turn” by Saras_Girl, and I’m just ruined, but in the best way. So I was wondering if you had any recs for other Drarry fics that are amazing but are on the long side?

Helloooo!

I did a long fic rec list a while back so here’s that one, though that was a list of 50-150k fics so I’ll also rec a couple more longer ones, as turn is a monster of a fic

Away Childish Things by lettered ––153k

Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

The Sleeping Beauty Curse by who_la_hoop ––152k

When Draco Malfoy falls into a cursed sleep and can only be woken – at least, according to the Daily Prophet, that impeccable source of truth – by ‘true love’s kiss’, Harry Potter knows there’s no way on earth he’s the answer to this particular riddle. Is he . . .?

Things Worth Knowing by Femme (femmequixotic), noeon (noe) ––164k

After the Battle, Harry thinks he's left Hogwarts for good, but Minerva insists that all students return for an Eighth Year if they wish to sit for NEWTs in the spring, and Harry needs those NEWTs to go into the Aurors. Draco's just grateful not to be in Azkaban. Or the Manor. He's hoping he can steer clear of Potter this year and grapple with his own problems. Unfortunately for him, Potter appears to be one of those problems. And that's not even addressing the fact that Potter's got serious issues of his own, which Draco realises as he's forced to share an Eighth Year dormitory room and several classes with the Gryffindor Git. If only they can make it through the year without killing each other, it should be all right, shouldn't it?

Sanguis Vita Est by HyperLittleNori (Shiguresan) ––312k

Whilst Voldemort’s prisoner, Draco is made a vampire and forced to take Harry as his first meal. With Draco managing to resist the temptation to drain him, just barely, in a moment of blind rage at what he has been forced to become, he aids Harry in the destruction of Voldemort. But even with that threat vanquished, once back at Hogwarts, Draco finds himself disturbingly addicted to Harry’s blood. And amongst all this, a dark shadow looms ominously on the outline of the forest, watching them closely. A vampire!Draco story and also an ‘Eighth year’ story.

All I Want For Christmas (Is For You To Stop Talking) by Femme (femmequixotic), noeon (noe) ––162k

The Niffler's Garden is the most prestigious wizarding nursery school in England and has been for the last century or more. Harry Potter's boys are both enrolled as pupils at the Garden. When he volunteers to assist with the Yule pageant, he has no idea that he'll be working closely with another parent, Draco Malfoy. Although they haven't seen each other much since their own school days, Harry faults Malfoy for not being a hands-on dad to little Scorpius. Will the intense weeks of preparation fan the fires of enmity or something else entirely?

Warnings: Background discussion of divorce, coming out, parenting, very brief mention of difficult pregnancy.

Bonus recs because I haven’t read these but have been told great things about them:

Secrets by Vorabiza (Biza) ––395k

Beginning with Draco's unexpected arrival at the Dursleys, Harry's summer after sixth year becomes filled with activity and many secrets. As his summer progresses, Harry generates several unexpected allies as he finds himself actively becoming the leader of the Light side. H/D post-HBP ~~Complete~~

There Is Always the Moon by firethesound ––159k

Draco's life after the war is everything he wanted it to be: it's simple, and quiet, and predictable, and safe. But when a mysterious curse shatters the peace he'd worked so hard to build, there's only one person he can trust to help him. After all, Harry Potter has saved his life before. Now Draco has to believe that Potter will be able to do it one more time. (A remix of If the Sun Goes Black by pasdexcuses)

[crysanthemumlotus]

Drarry (Really) Slow Burn and Somewhat Over-Dramatic Angst

Don’t mind me guys, just putting this fic idea here because I need to get this out of my head somehow, and rather than attempting to write the first 2000 words before giving up, I decided to just post the outline here on tumblr. 

Feel free to use the idea if you want, just don’t forget to leave the link so I can read it!

So, without any further ado, here goes nothing:

Draco and Harry roomed together in Hogwarts eight year.

Draco being subdued at first, and Harry ignoring him, but then they’re them, so of course they’re going to start sniping and taunting each other.

Harry has nightmares, Draco is a light sleeper so he always gets woken up every single time. After a particularly bad one, Draco offered the proverbial olive branch and they spent the night talking about the war. Afterwards, it becomes their thing.

Harry telling Draco about his concerns and fears (”I wasn’t raised in a loving -- I wasn’t -- My relatives weren’t especially fond of me, when I was growing up. I think it screwed me up somehow. Sometimes, I’m afraid Ginny would see that I’m not -- That I don’t know how -- That there’s just something wrong with me, you know? And then she’ll leave me. Because I’m not -- You know.” Or, “He had planned it all along. From the moment I was dropped off with my relatives. he had planned it all along. He had... Designed my future. Shaped my path for me. Lead me right up to my death. I know why he did it. I understand. It’s for the greater good. But still, sometimes -- sometimes, I -- I’m angry. It’s petty, I know, but Merlin -- I’m angry at him. Or, “He was in love with my mother. He hurt her feelings. She never forgave him. He was -- An arsehole, but I -- I feel sorry for him, you know. In the end, he died without ever gaining her forgiveness. He died with regrets.”).

And Draco patiently listening to him, telling him it’s okay, he’s not broken, it’s okay to be angry at a dead person.

Then their friendship just blooms from there. Harry spends a lot of time with Draco (going to Hogsmeade together while bickering like old married couples, playing Seeker game while taunting each other, slow walks by the lake while talking about their hopes and dreams, joint study sessions where there’s a lot of academic argument and close leanings as they look at each other’s notes, snowball fights with lots of tackling and touching one another, ballroom dancing lessons).

Harry teaching Draco to be nicer to other people, and helping him apologize to Hagrid and Neville for being assholes to them.

The boys getting closer and developing feelings.

Then, their friendship slowly morphing into something more. A spark of desire that slowly begins to burn (insert tons of sexually charged moments with tons of subtle touches and lingering gazes and heatedly checking out the other person when they’re dressing up nicely).

Draco wants more than just friendship, Harry doesn’t (”I’m not gay”, “I love Ginny”, “Hermione and Ron wouldn’t approve”, “The Weasley is important to me, and they won’t accept you” etc.). The boys have a falling out.

Draco leaves to France to continue his studies, Harry goes on for Auror training and they don’t speak with each other again.

Insert angsty moments where they miss each other, Harry convincing himself that there’s no room for anything more than friendship with Draco, and Draco trying to stomp down his feelings by sleeping around in France.

Draco still sending gifts to Harry on Christmases and birthdays though, because he knows that it’s important for Harry to know that he’s loved.

Harry pouring out his concerns and fears into his letters to Draco instead of talking to Ginny. And Ginny’s just there, thinking that there’s nothing wrong because Harry will talk to her if there’s something bothering him, right?

Draco finally accepting that friendship is all he’s ever going to have with Harry, and decides to just stop being selfish, because he loves Harry. So he returns to England after he finishes his education and settles down.

Harry’s adult-life schedule is packed, but he always finds time to hang out with Draco (to play quidditch, sits around in near the fire discussing books and just talking about their lives and their feelings). 

At one point, Harry tells Draco about his dream to build a mountain cabin (somewhere he can escape to when things gets overwhelming), and Draco’s just -- “Alright, let’s make one”. And so they have this weekend project thing where they visit mountains to find the perfect spot, and then building a cabin together with their own hands (because Harry insists doing it with magic won’t be the same).

Draco marrying Astoria, and Harry inevitably asking, “Do you love her?”

Draco telling him the truth. That they’re marrying out of convenience. That Astoria only wants to please her dying father. That his feelings for Harry hasn’t changed (”After all these times?” Harry asks. -- “Always.”).

They have another falling out.

Harry doesn’t attend Draco’s wedding. He goes to the cabin and continues working on it, all the while man-crying as he finally accepts that he too is in love with Draco, that he too wants to be with him, but can’t ( because ”He has Ginny and James now, too many people he can’t let down. He’s holding too many thing he can’t just throw away, and he’ll have to if he wants to be with Draco”).

Draco returns from his honeymoon in Sweden or something, and then Harry just tells him, all the while apologizing for realizing his feelings all too late.

And they just go on with their lives, longing and regretting and just aching for what could have beens.

They finish the cabin, furnish it, but Harry never used it. He tells his friends he was too busy, while in truth, it just hurts too much because it constantly reminds him of Draco.

Then Scorpius is born, and as he grows up, he notices that although his parents get along well, his father always looks lonely. Then when he turns eleven and is about to board the Hogwarts Express, he sees the way his father looks at Harry Potter, and then he just sort of draws the connection (in my HC, Scorpius is a genius when it comes to reading people and their needs).

Scorpius befriending Albus so he can get closer to Harry Potter. And when he gets invited to spend Christmas with the Potters, he notices that Harry Potter is unhappy with his marriage, and he thinks that everyone is being an idiot.

He confronts Harry and tells him as much (Ha! Imagine eleven-year old Scorpius trying to talk Harry about this whole mess!), Harry reluctantly admitting that he’s in love with Draco, but can’t be together because it’s too late.

And then Scorpius just straight-up telling him, “My father once told me a story about a man who wronged the person he loved and never gained her forgiveness. He lived the rest of his life haunted by his mistake, then died with regret. I’m sure the story isn’t actually as simple as that, his lover is probably a vindictive banshee too, since she refused to forgive him at all, but anyway. What I’m trying to say is that... If you insist on being this stupid, then I’m pretty sure you’re going to end up as miserable as him. You’re never going to be happy. And then... And then you’re going to die with regrets. Lots and lots of regrets. Just like him.” 

Or something even more profound than that, I dunno.

And then getting told that by an eleven-year old just slaps Harry awake. He goes back to Hogwarts, talk to Snape’s portrait. And then he’s just like, “If she hadn’t died so tragically, I’m sure she would have forgiven you eventually.” “And how can you be so sure of that, Mr. Potter?”

“Because you love her.” Harry replies. “And, I think, it’s impossible to ignore that. It’s impossible to -- to pretend that you don’t see it or feel it. Because it’s there. It’s always there, in the memories you shared, in your attempts to apologize -- I don’t know, but it’s just there. She would have seen it, eventually, and she would have forgiven you. Because, when someone loves you that much, you can’t help but love them back.”

And then Harry finally, finally realizing that if his friends and family do love him, they will forgive him for being selfish. So he talks to Ginny, talks to Ron and Hermione, talks to his children, and then Molly and Arthur and then everyone he was afraid of letting down.

And then, after he talked to all of them, made them understand, went through the painful process of baring his heart to be poked and prodded at, he goes to Draco.

He goes to Draco and he kisses him.

Astoria and Scorpius high-fives in the background.

They go on a honeymoon in the cabin they built together, and lived happily ever after.