#cursebreaker draco

[falkendreamsxxx]

The Best Kept Secrets Are Curses

On Ao3 and FFN

[mllemacabre]

Leave it to me

Leaning casually against the side of the low partition between her open living space and modest kitchen, Hermione watches as Malfoy speaks to Crookshanks. Malfoy is leaning close to the orange cat and whispering conspiratorially,  oblivious to her presence. To her chagrin, the great ball of fluff paws at a length of thick jute that the impossibly tall, impeccably, and insufferably attractive man is dragging back and forth across the countertop in front of him, entirely too kitten-like for his advanced years.

It was already quite late; Hermione had been in bed reading when the floo had roared to life, signalling that someone was stepping through the network directly into her home without any forewarning or invitation. She knew her floo was only open to a select few, and not hearing anyone calling her name in panic, she had taken her time leaving her room to discover who was visiting at such a late hour. As no one was sobbing, cursing the universe, or drunkenly knocking things over, the possible list of visitors was much shorter than the total of all who had an open invitation to come and go as they pleased. It became a list of one when she heard the telltale sound of expensive shoes clicking across flagstone, then hardwood, and finally to tile as they made their way to her kitchen.

Malfoy, or Draco as he continues to insist she refers to him as in their daily dealings, had been added to her privileged personal floo access barely two weeks before this unannounced intrusion. He was adamant that it was for the simple reason that it would make consulting with her on their shared curse-breaking research much easier, as owls were notoriously slow in relaying urgent messages, such as they would need during this particular project. Despite her best efforts, Draco was not persuaded to use a muggle cell phone, as the man’s ancient wards made it impossible to guarantee the messages would reach him with any reliability. So far, this had led him to stop by almost daily with meticulous notes, rare reference texts, enough expensive coffee to drown a small village, and enough treats to have won over her aged familiar.  Work on their current project, an artefact locked behind an obscure ancient curse, had kept him over for hours on end, discussing and debating the minutiae of facts and methods, ordering in meals, and keeping late hours as they unravelled the complicated nature that kept the artefact in question beyond reach. He had thoroughly, without apology, inserted himself into her personal space as if he belonged in her orbit on the sole merit of his existence.

“Yes, that’s quite right. This is prey most noble for one such as yourself. Intelligent beast, aren’t you? A chaser to the bone.” Draco keeps his voice low, speaking to her familiar with in a voice barely above a whisper, and yet it carries well through the space; it is soft and deep, sending a not-unpleasant tingle through Hermione’s nerves as she watches him. Next to where he stands in a new stack of what appears to be ancient scrolls, possibly his reason for such a late visit. A discovery that apparently could not wait for the sun to rise. His platinum blonde hair, almost white, sweeps down across his forehead. His forearms flex almost imperceptibly as he keeps the end of the jute length just out of reach of sharp claws. His shoulders stretch the fabric of his white Oxford in ways that make her bite her lip, imagining the expanse of skin and the muscle beneath it. Hermione wonders briefly how warm his skin is. Would there be any resistance?  How would it feel to run her nails along his spine, and would she be able to differentiate the notches between them? All in all, Draco Malfoy has thoroughly ruined her without even touching her.

“That’s not a cat toy, I’ll have you know Malfoy. Honestly, it shouldn’t even be out here in the first place.”

Briefly, Malfoy glances up and away from the cat, cutting his eyes to Hermione and back to the jute cord in his hands as Crookshanks triumphantly catches its end. He does a double take so fast it looks almost painful. Hermione can see the second his jaw goes slack. She registers the slight dilation of his pupils. There is a hitch in his breath, and Hermione swears she hears his brain crashing. It is precisely the reaction she was hoping for. She watches as his eyes scan slowly down from the crown of her head downward from her hair, plaited carefully out of the way, to the slightly parted silk robe she wears, offering a calculatedly teasing view of the lace basque beneath. As she leans, she notices him pause in his appraisal again, further down, taking in the hint of her exposed thigh just above her bent knee. 

“Where should it be then, Granger?” She watches as the pink tip of his tongue darts out, wets his lips, and he reaches his other hand to the jute rope, coiling it slowly as he keeps his eyes on her, his voice low and coaxing. Hermione crooks a finger at him, beckoning, and uses her hip to push off the partition, turning around to begin her walk back down the hallway from which she had previously come. A few steps later, Hermione again hears the sound of expensive soles on tile, and then they transition onto the hardwood floor of the hallway as he begins to follow behind her.

“Right then, Granger. Leave it to me.” After all, some discoveries absolutely could not wait a moment longer.

[hp-fanfic-archive]

at the end of his tether by hellebored Pairing: Harry/Draco Rating: M Word Count: 4k There's a worn page folded in an inner pocket of Harry's robes with a single underlined paragraph. Discrete magical signatures have been observed after the destruction of a Dementor. Some scholars believe this implies that the souls of its victims persist as captives within its form, as opposed to undergoing immediate obliteration, and therefore serve the purpose of providing the creature with sustenance over a prolonged period of time. Harry has carried it for nearly two years.

[silver26writes]

Chapter 16 now uploaded!

[innocentlyyouthful]

I've almost finished reading through ACOTAR, and I feel like the only thing that's going to help me ease my book hang over, before I buy and start throne of glass is another dramione fanfic.

[falkendreamsxxx]

Holy shit 😅🥰

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

[sweet-s0rr0w]

Day 1 of @hprecfest - First fic you read/first fic you remember reading

I started reading in the early 2000s, before HBP was published, so this is a tricky one to start off with! I vividly remember reading along to Cassandra Clare's Draco Trilogy and Maya's Underwater Light - both WIPs at the time, and neither freely available now 💀 if anyone else was around then, though, I have compiled a reclist of Vintage Drarry Fics (2001-2006, including such classics as Irresistible Poison, Beautiful World, Seamus is Seamus, and Love Under Will).

The fic I've chosen to rec today is the one that brought me back into fandom after a decade out; indirectly I suppose it's the reason I'm here at all, and so perhaps the lesson for any creators reading this is that you'll truly never know the impact your works have, even decades down the line!

Transfigurations, by Resonant : E, 71k, 2003 (MCD warning, but not for Drarry)

Summary: Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

Excerpt:

"You're going to have to talk about it sooner or later, Harry," she said. "I know it's hard for you, but --"

"Hermione --" He looked over her shoulder, searching for something that would distract her.

He succeeded a little better than he would have liked. First he caught a flash of pale hair in the shadows behind the top table. Then the shape came clear. An expensively tailored robe, an expensively bejewelled hand, an expensively barbered head, an expensively curled lip --

Was he never going to be free of Draco Malfoy?

Hermione followed Harry's eyes, and then she straightened up suddenly, crying, "Draco!" and ran to clasp Malfoy. Harry stared dumbly after her. "Mother sent a book for you, and some biscuits, they're in here somewhere --"

"Never mind that," Malfoy said, hugging her roughly. Harry felt a pang of fury. Since when was Hermione so cozy with Malfoy? "What I want to know is, did Mrs. Spenser ever find Bratleigh's tooth?"

"Oh, yes, it turned out to be in his little brother's forearm -- but how are you getting on without mechanical pencils?"

"Musgrove's Magic Pencils are nearly as good, though not quite so satisfying to click ..." Harry watched their two heads bent together, the dark and the fair. They were exactly the same height, like a matched set of figurines. Something extremely strange must have happened while he was in Florida.

Malfoy was still affecting the look of a wizard-bard from a storybook, Harry thought scornfully: pale hair falling to his shoulders, deep-plum robe heavily embroidered in the same color around the collar, narrow hands heavy with silver rings. Harry hadn't remembered his mouth being quite so red.

He looked up and caught Harry looking, and something crossed his face that wasn't quite the expected sneer. Hermione was tugging him over by the arm. "Harry just got in today from America, Draco, he didn't tell anybody he was coming, I think he forgot how to write a letter --"

"He's forgotten a lot of things, I imagine," Malfoy drawled, but he offered a hand. "Potter. Welcome back."

Damn it, even his languid, lingering handshake felt as though there was an insult behind it.

Where to start with this fic? The premise is that following the war, Harry left for Florida, settling down with a group of Indigenous wixen as they worked to set up a new school of wizardry. He returns, five years later, to a Hogwarts in trouble, rife with traps and curses laid by Death Eaters long gone, and to his old friends, whose letters he'd mostly ignored during his time abroad. Many of the old faces are familiar, but the addition of Malfoy, now, inexplicably, best friends with Hermione and Professor of Muggle Studies, irritates Harry beyond belief. Worst of all, when it comes to Cursebreaking, Harry and Malfoy's magic works best in sync, so to their horror they find themselves paired together as they work to make the school safe on its reopening.

There are so very many things to love about this fic. The narrative tone feels very true to canon, as does Harry's voice; possibly a result of its being published while the books were still coming out, but unlike many of the other fics written back then, it has a very adult feel. It's set entirely in Hogwarts, and with a huge cast of supporting characters, including a sneering, dramatic statue of the deceased Professor Snape, sexy handyman Ron, COMC Professor Charlie Weasley, and some wonderfully endearing OCs. The writing's lovely and clean, sparing, but still very visual, and full of worldbuilding details so unique and rich you'll be thinking about them years later (trust me). And the relationship development is truly second to none; we come to love this Malfoy reluctantly, but so so deeply, along with Harry. Also, this fic has, to me, the original rushed sex in a bathroom stall scene, and one of the sexiest undressing scenes you'll ever read. I absolutely adore it, can quote huge chunks, and every single time I read it it brings back everything I love about the world of Harry Potter. Go and add it to your MFL, and you can thank me later <3

If you read it, and if especially you love it, please do let me know! And as always, please do take the time to leave the author a kudos/comment <3

[sitp-recs]

currently reading a hpdm war fic where draco is absolutely useless. and i cant have that. so. do you perhaps have any recs for magically powerful draco? not necessarily powerful, but yknow. useful. 😭. thank you so much

I most certainly have, anon! Love me a competent and useful Draco 🤌🏼 I hope you enjoy these, I also have a spy!Draco list that might fit your request.

The Slytherin Urn by ICMezzo (E, 4.6k)

Nothing turns Harry on quite like redemption.

Wield Me by tackytiger (E, 10k)

Draco Malfoy, blacksmith, is renowned through the magical world for his skill and exquisite creations. He could quite easily spend the rest of his days making pretty trinkets for the fae court, and being handsomely rewarded for the privilege.

Sex on Legs in Six-Inch Heels by Tessa Crowley (E, 10k)

Draco Malfoy is a brilliant freelance cursebreaker and the only one who can help the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with a very dangerous case, but more importantly, he's wearing six-inch heels, and Harry cannot handle it, he really just can't.

This Unexpected Windfall by mindabbles (E, 11k)

Harry doesn’t like it when Draco is called in to work one of his cases. No. He doesn’t like it at all — at least that’s what he tells himself.

Yours Truly by skeptique (M, 15k)

Every single one of Harry’s exes has gone on to marry the next person they date, and with the upcoming nuptials of numbers six and seven to each other, Harry’s feeling exhausted by it all.

Countdown by dysonrules (M, 15k)

When the Wizarding world is plagued by random outbreaks of Dark Magic, the Ministry assigns Curse-Breakers to assist Auror teams on their missions. Harry shouldn't be surprised when Draco Malfoy is assigned to his team, but is Malfoy a Curse-Breaker, or a curse-bringer?

The Pain From an Old Wound, anon (T, 30k)

Getting hit with a mysterious blood curse is all in a day’s work for Harry Potter. Having to work with his former colleague, rival, bully, and boyfriend, is not. Harry’s not sure which is going to do him in first: the curse sucking his magic dry, or Draco Malfoy, as frustrating, condescending, and painfully attractive as he’s always been.

measures of our days and nights by flimsy (E, 40k)

Draco returns to London to help the Ministry decipher a spell, but things aren’t quite as simple as they seem.

Heal Thyself by astolat (T, 47k)

"Are you going for the course?" Lovegood asked. "You have the NEWTs.” “What course?” Draco said, then, “No, don’t be ridiculous,” when he realized she meant the notice pinned up on the board he’d been staring at: Applicants To The Introductory Mediwizard Course For The Coming Term Shall Present Themselves In The Chief Mediwizard’s Office By August 24th.

The Boy Who Only Lived Twice by lettered (E, 54k)

Harry Potter is an Unspeakable. Draco Malfoy is the wizard who shagged him. Adventure! Intrigue! Secret identities, celebrities, spies! It's all right here, folks.

Reparations by Saras_Girl (E, 87k)

Harry is about to discover that the steepest learning curve comes after Healer training, and that second chances can be found in unexpected places.

Any Instrument by dicta_contrion (E, 131k)

Draco Malfoy wouldn't go back to England for anything less than an exceptional case. Being asked to figure out why Harry Potter can't control his magic might be exceptional enough to qualify.

[beloved-child-of-the-house]

what are thee best drarry fics to read in this day and age? I've not read any for a few years and I don't know what's good 🤔

what an incredibly flattering question! i do not know what your tastes run to, but here are a few of my recentish favorites in no particular order. i think these are all m or e, as that tends to be what i go for. they're also properly adults, well out of hogwarts, and the stories are sort of mid length, over 10K, under 100K. make sure you read the tags!

Necro-romance by @thehoneybeet coming in hot!!!! i feel like this is a very very profoundly drarry story. we are fucked up in some of the same ways so let's do weird sex about it. dark, weird, very tender. incredible atmosphere. loved it!!!

In Every Universe by @skeptiquewrites this is like an AU hopping fic where draco is on the run for Reasons, and harry is chasing him. not with state violence in his heart. please come home. EXQUISITE worldbuilding, one of my favorite things about Tee's fics. This fic is so fun and there are also some really heartwrenching moments that i won't even come close to spoiling. god i love it it's so fucking good

Anatomy of a Wolf Heart this fic is orphaned but i actually do know the author very well (and love him with all my heart). this is an amazing draco. he's dealing with some significant trauma on top of what he went through in canon. all i'm gonna say is werewolf draco cinematic universe my beloved. i love this harry, too. compulsively doing the right thing even as it fucks his whole life up. yum.

Home Truths another @skeptiquewrites fic bc Tee's writing got me WEAK. i rlly love the ensemble here!!! harry and draco are both amazing characters whom i adore, but they are also surrounded by other characters who feel so real and so lived in. wonderful worldbuilding as per usual w this author. and. harry is a pro athlete at the peak of his career so uh. he do be inhabiting his physical form. it's sexy okay. damn. Tee has a talent for capturing Draco's drama and prissiness without making him feel like a caricature. i found this story genuinely inspiring for lots of reasons, and i can't say enough good things about it.

Preserving Lemons by @saintgarbanzo (this one is locked to the archive, so you'll need to be logged in to read it) god i love this story!!! food as a love language? gender magic? fucking YES PLEASE. it's nice to see them get out of the typical Stately Homes backdrop (i enjoy that too, but. well i'm not going to go off on a tangent about it now. variety is the spice of life!). lots of sensuality here and a heaping dollop of straight up fucking. i just love this depiction of them. i love draco's offers of vulnerability and harry's diving in face first. LOVE.

A Gift of True Esteem by ME! i am big enough to acknowledge that i write fucking good fic okay!!! hogwarts professors, chronic illness, historiography, gratuitous use of patronuses, fun world building in general. harry has been self-isolating a little bit. burying himself in his work. he has to let himself feel things again. joy, love, pleasure. draco makes him want to.

Names for a House this is also by me bc it's my fuckn list and i do what i want!!! harry is raising teddy lupin after andromeda gets sick (don't worry i do not kill off any old ladies in this fic). harry is also the wizarding world's first novelist. teddy lupin is a budding werewolf about to go off to hogwarts, and harry is not sure how to do right by him. FORTUNATELY harry's erstwhile nemesis and current cursebreaker is also a werewolf and teddy's cousin, and he's more than willing to help out.

[falkendreamsxxx]

[briamarie38]

Art by @regretfulcorrine

The Haunting of Hogwarts

Drarry I Mature I 85k I soul bond, angst with a happy ending, Auror Harry, Cursebreaker Draco, Sentient Hogwarts, mutual pining, married but dont realize it (not because of the soulbond but because they love eachother and are idiots), temporary main character death, HAPPY ENDING!

[Mind the tags both here and on ao3!]

Amazing art by @regretfulcorrine (see chapter 6) and @navi1088 (see chapter 1)!!

Summary: Twelve years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter, barely clinging to his reasons for being an auror, is asked by cursebreaker Draco Malfoy, his best friend and not-so-secret crush for the last decade, to help investigate a developing case at Hogwarts. Animals are showing up dead and the ghosts are acting "weird". After some investigation, it seems the concern was all a bit alarmist until the next full moon and they've got a human victim drained of blood and essence on their hands. Before they know it, they're knee-deep in dark magic, and Harry is in a race against time to find the culprit before Draco is taken as collateral.

Huge shout out, again to @regretfulcorrine (who made the AMAZING illustration above) and @navi1088 (who has equally amazing art!) Thank you guys SO MUCH for making something so beautiful and putting up with so much from me!

Link below!

[hogwartsfirebolt]

yes, and

It was a no for so long. A rejected handshake, long years of tipping different sides of a scale. No, Harry wouldn’t talk to him. No, Harry wouldn’t look at him even though Draco sought his gaze with a mindless desperation only possible because they were so young. No, Harry wouldn’t try to save him, even though he saved everyone else. No, no, no.

Yet fate’s puppeteering hands acted in mysterious ways, beyond anything he’d ever been able to comprehend. No, he wasn’t saved, but he was … pardoned. No, he couldn’t take back everything he’d already messed up by then, but he could atone. Community service, two years of it in the kitchens of the Ministry, with the long tables and magic dictating every move, every stir of a spoon. He did his time at first grudgingly, sick on the scent of spices that clung to his apron and the way the still air would make the back of his hair stand on end, but as months passed and he became familiar with the intricate, purposeful magic he needed to master to cook, and the people working beside him, he came to love it. The twin chefs who were his bosses, Poppy and Aspen, were outrageously funny in a foul-mouthed way, and halfway through the year they were already inviting Draco and the other sous-chefs to their flats to have game nights and sparkly drinks. No, his friends from school wouldn’t even hear from him, his letters would return unopened and no, his parents weren’t home, but abroad, exiled, forbidden from making contact. No, he had no family left. But the mismatched group of five who spent their mornings charming potatoes out of their peels with him began to tug at his heart.

No, they didn’t have much in common, but they got him, he got them. This was a connection that was unblemished, for the first time in his life, untainted by his background. It was brilliant, sun-water bliss, and in it, he had the chance to nurture parts of himself he’d only peripherally known about and let them bloom. What he found was that, stripped of the need to be cleverer than everyone else, his opinion was seen as smart, valued, and taken seriously. What he found was that, stripped of ill intent, his jokes and drama were actually quite well received, with loud laughs and occasionally clutched stomachs, tear-streaked cheeks. They loved his theatrics, would go hysterical over his imitation of the stand-offish inflection of the Unspeakables when they came to get their lunch, the brutish tone of the Cursebreakers, the loud laugh of the Auror force.

And well, no, it wasn’t all sunshine and flowers; no, they didn’t entirely get him sometimes, wouldn’t understand why he didn’t want to serve the Aurors their meal, ever. They could understand that he hated serving in general, why he much preferred staying safely inside the kitchen over spooning food onto trays and handing it to Ministry employees who all looked at him like he was a joke at best, or pretended he was entirely invisible at worst; but they couldn't comprehend why he’d serve the haughty Unspeakables and daft Cursebreakers with mild irritation, but went pale when faced with the generally well-liked Aurors. No, they definitely didn’t get it, so no, he couldn’t always avoid it, had to bribe Cooper to trade his serving day for her butter-churning day, had to beg Luisa out of her dish-washing week so she’d mind the counter, had to promise Pip a bottle of wine whenever he took over his serving duties, but there were times when no, nobody wanted to trade, and no, he couldn’t do anything but suck up and do it.

One such day, queuing in between a group of arrogant Unspeakables and a pair of thick-headed Cursebreakers, came Harry Potter. No, it wasn’t the first time Draco had been forced to serve him but no, it never got any easier. Draco tended to avoid his gaze, to pretend the bowl of pasta he was holding was far more interesting than the wild man standing in front of him in blood-crimson robes for a few short minutes each day, hoping he’d just go away as swiftly as possible. But no, Harry had never let things be simple between them. Because no, Harry wasn’t like the others, but not only for the obvious reasons. Despite their — frankly titanic — history, the truth was that no, Harry didn’t look at him like he was a joke, wouldn’t pretend Draco was invisible, and honestly wouldn’t even look at him with derision anymore. He just … looked. No, he didn’t stay quiet, not content with pretending Draco didn’t exist. Instead, he asked questions. He’d say “hey, how are you doing?”, he’d say, “hey, bit cold today, right?”, he’d say, “hey, do you think we could talk, maybe?”

And no. Draco most definitely did not think they could talk. He opened his mouth to say as much, because no, what did they even have to talk to each other about? But Harry must have sensed it, because he added, “Please?” Open and earnest, one word dripping with the easy confidence he’d carried for a lifetime, the unassuming kind.

It had been a no for so long, for so many good reasons. But not all of those reasons remained true, not even most of them — they’d been swept away by the stream of time, by life allowing the pieces that had held each of them slot into their fated place, no longer on opposing sides of a scale. Draco heard the sound of his own voice say, “yes.” He said, “yes, alright.”

And suddenly, a lot of things shifted, things that had been a firm, unmovable no.

And then they were yes.

Yes, he went to get drinks with Harry and they talked. Yes, he promised he’d hear Harry out without fighting. Yes, he was sorry too. Yes, he wanted a fresh start.

Yes, he was free next week at the same time.

Then, as a knit jumper catches on a nail and unspools, a friendship with Harry was pulled out of him, accidentally, irrevocably.

Harry kept asking, and Draco kept answering, yes. Yes, Draco was free that night, yes, Draco liked Japanese food and would love to get some, yes, Draco would hear the speech Harry had written for the function and tell him very, very honestly if he thought it was shit (it wasn’t). Yes, he’d be at the function himself. Yes, fine, they could match their neckties.

Their back and forth became an exercise of yes, and. They’d always connected in a way that went beyond logic, only now that they were using it to work alongside each other instead of against each other, they were unstoppable and unbearable and so much fun that Draco’s ribs hurt from how hard he laughed most days. He’d imitate the cretin Unspeakables and Harry would say, “yes, and how about this caviar?” while poking the Ministry’s rice and beans. Then Draco would say something purposefully daft and Harry would whack him over the head and ask him if he was a pea-brained Cursebreaker.

Harry would have Draco over at his flat and show him the thread-board of his latest case and work through what he knew out loud in case Draco could spot something he hadn’t, and most of the time Draco didn’t even have to say anything, would only open his mouth to say, “Have you thought that maybe —?” And Harry would exclaim, “You’re so right, I should interrogate the reporter.” And when he solved that case with absolutely no real input from Draco whatsoever, he had him over at his flat again and clinked their wine glasses together with a huge smile and said, “Couldn’t have done this without you, really.”

Yes, Draco’s help had been non-existent, but oh yes, he adored the appreciation. And yes, those glasses of wine flowed incredibly quickly and yes, Draco had tried mezcal once and he was very open to trying it again and yes, he was one hundred percent sure he could knock back that shot quicker than Harry and yes — they were spectacularly drunk a short two hours after getting to Harry’s flat.

Yes, it was insane that this should be happening, but it … also wasn’t. They were friends. They were good friends. No, he hadn’t wanted to show the rougher sides of his personality at first, even if Harry had at one point known them better than most people. Draco was hesitant, their budding friendship felt delicate, and he knew he was a bit much, much too coarse, much too rude most times, that anyone would think so, that they’d be right if they did. But there was something in Harry that made his resolve to hide crack open like an egg and he found himself just being. It was something in the way Harry knew who he was, knew exactly why he was there, yet he seemed to want him, continuously. Want his opinion, his support, his ideas and conversation, his jokes, mean as they occasionally were.

Most of their free time was spent seeking one another or trading barbs and anecdotes through quick-floo notes. Cooper and Luisa had a field day with it, made fun of Draco relentlessly when Harry came in for lunch and they’d snatch the three seconds he spent queuing to chat, would call Harry his man, his boyfriend. Chefs Poppy and Aspen would draw chia seed hearts on Harry’s toast and wink, acted as though they were doing him a favor. And yes, Harry found it hysterical. He’d blow Draco kisses over his toast, call him sweetie pie and bonbon where the others could hear and yes, Draco pinked and raged and returned it by bringing Harry’s tray to his table the next day, where he sat with his loud Auror bunch, and saying, “For you, pumpkin.” Yes, he savored Harry’s spluttering thanks, walked back into the kitchen with a grin.

But yes, that night at Harry’s flat, when Draco settled in on the big green sofa and Harry handed him a cup of homemade sangria saying, “here, love,” it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

It was a no for so long, but Harry’s wine-stained lips grazing his felt not like a first time, but a hundredth, a thousandth, a lifetime of a connection that had shapeshifted but always existed, and probably always would. So maybe, going back around to it, giving it some thought, peeling back the layers … it had truly always been a yes, deep down. A yes, and.

Read on ao3

[silver26writes]

Introducing Chapter 12!

[drarry-mini-bang]

Drarry Mini Bang - Week 1 round-up

On Our Side (M, 46k) by 🖊️ PhantomGrimalkin 🎨@sweatersinthesummer

Summary: The war is over, and Harry is trying not to be obsessed with Draco Malfoy. Which would be easier if Andromeda’s desire to reunite her family didn't result in Harry and the Malfoys being invited to the same events. After a few months without insults or fights, Harry recognizes his attraction and figures out how to ask Draco on a date. Their relationship is surprisingly easy, unfortunately Harry’s life is still complicated. They're stuck navigating past traumas, the press, Black family drama, a child that no one knows exists, and a quirk of wizard biology that was left out of his sex education.

like a wheel spoke (T, 34k) by 🖊️ justdistress (ao3: harDeehar)🎨 @stazvlt

Summary: When Andromeda is hospitalized and three-year-old Teddy's temporary fate is left in their hands, Harry realizes he and Draco are not as incompatible as he thought. The exact opposite, actually. Somehow, this makes everything worse before it gets better.

Fake Happy (T, 10k) by by 🖊️@a-sentimental-man 🎨 @anzukero

Summary: Happy birthday, Harry," Draco told him, his voice soft and fond. Harry blinked, taken aback for a moment because⁠—because Draco never sounded like this, apart from a few moments where Harry could swear he dreamt it. If he thought Draco was handsome before, he was breathtaking now, gaze soft on him. "Didn't think I would forget, did you?" Harry's just broken up with Ginny⁠—if months ago could be considered "just"⁠—trying to get through his job while hating every minute of it. The only highlight of his job is Draco Malfoy. That is, until he wakes up on his 21st birthday with a small dragon tattoo on his wrist, the unmistakable mark of his soulmate.

Thorns (E, 68k) by 🖊️@orange-peony 🎨@itsphantasmagoria and @pocketlessdruid

Summary: Harry looks at his reflection in the mirror and starts his morning routine by putting a Glamour on. After a moment, it’s not Harry Potter who stares back at him, but Gustav Meris, renowned magical portrait artist. Too bad Draco Malfoy has returned to England after ten years to ask for his portrait to be painted. 

The Haunting of Hogwarts (M, 84k) by 🖊️@briamarie38 🎨@navi1088 and @regretfulcorrine 

Summary: Twelve years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter, barely clinging to his reasons for being an Auror, is asked by cursebreaker Draco Malfoy, his best friend and not-so-secret crush for the last decade, to help investigate a developing case at Hogwarts. Animals are showing up dead and the ghosts are acting weird. After some investigation, it seems it was all a bit alarmist until the next full moon and they've got a victim drained of blood and essence on their hands. Before they know it, they're knee-deep in dark magic, and Harry is in a race against time to find the culprit before Draco is taken as collateral. Featuring lots of banter, an irresponsible level of cuddles, and drarry shippers Ron and Hermione. 

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2024.08.16

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Jealous by lvmosology [?, 1k]

►Harry is pretty obsessed with Draco.

2. when i look in the mirror by falconns [E, 14k]

►During a night time round as Head Boy, Harry runs into the mysterious sight of Draco Malfoy confiding into the Mirror of Erised. As he investigates further he comes to see Draco finding solace in none other than the magical mirror’s version of Harry Potter.

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Fest/Exchange

1. The Haunting of Hogwarts by @briamarie38 [M, 85k]

►Twelve years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter, barely clinging to his reasons for being an auror, is asked by cursebreaker Draco Malfoy, his best friend and not-so-secret crush for the last decade, to help investigate a developing case at Hogwarts. Animals are showing up dead and the ghosts are acting "weird". After some investigation, it seems the concern was all a bit alarmist until the next full moon and they've got a human victim drained of blood and essence on their hands. Before they know it, they're knee-deep in dark magic, and Harry is in a race against time to find the culprit before Draco is taken as collateral. [...] ★ Drarry Mini Bang | @drarry-mini-bang

[thedrarrylibrarian]

When I first started Happy Hour, @crazybutgood made me the cutest origami mug that resembles the foamy butterbeer in my Happy Hour image. I had been so nervous to try something new and write recs instead of just do lists and seeing that someone had enjoyed my rec enough to sit and fold paper into art was really touching to me. Since then, our whole fandom has been privileged to enjoy this unique and creative art that @crazybutgood has contributed. It's a joy to invite her to Happy Hour to give her own rec.

Thank you to @thedrarrylibrarian for this opportunity and for thinking of me!

The fic I’d like to rec is A Christmas Miracle by @sleepstxtic (E, 39k)

Draco is a world-renowned Magi-Diagnostician and Harry is a Cursebreaking Healer, both working in St. Mungo's. They're not- quite-friends, not-quite-lovers, who argue at work and have sex on the weekends. And they're both fine with it, thank you very much. But when a mysterious attack in the hospital leaves Draco trapped in a coma, Harry must do all he can to save him. All the while, an inexplicable, deadly, children's illness is spreading through wizarding London. Oh, and there's some Time Magic thrown into the mix.

Or

A Christmas Carol with a Drarry twist.

Though this 25 Days of Drarry fic is set during Christmas, it’s a perfect read for any season. @sleepstxtic (Kat) uses her own wonderful take on A Christmas Carol to weave together a gripping medical thriller with Draco racing against time to save Teddy, after himself going on a journey of self-reflection as he travels through time with his Ghosts of Christmas. The scenes Kat writes for the time-travel are as emotional and gripping as the suspenseful case in the present, as Draco, moved by his eye-opening experience, navigates his duty – and expressing his feelings for Harry. The characters’ (including great OCs) dynamics, personalities – especially Draco’s growth – and dialogues are deliberate, on point, and a delight to read. Plus, Kat gives an especially wonderful snark and demeanour to Draco that are not only reminiscent of her inspiration of House M.D., but is also uniquely him. Of course, Harry too has his own sassy moments thrown in with his softness towards Draco.

Why I especially rec this fic (apart from Kat's brilliant writing that I always love) is that by December 2023, I had been on-and-off and down about a lot of things, including fandom. Though I wasn't sure where I stood then, one thing I knew was that I could always count on Kat’s amazing stories cheering me up. This one came at a time when I appreciated anything to rely on as an escape and a treat, and adding it to my list of subscriptions to daily updating fics last winter was a joy. The anticipation and thrill of following a daily WIP is something else; I eagerly read as the story unfolded each day, especially mulling over what might happen next after each cliffhanger, which Kat is infuriatingly good at. Her story is a wonderful unique blend of concepts and feelings of despair, fear, hope, and love, gelling into a plot that'll definitely have you hooked. Whether you choose to savour a chapter a day in your free time, or treat yourself to a late-night binge, I hope you enjoy unravelling the mysteries of the puzzling illness, what happened to Draco, and his and Harry’s future.

❤️ As always, if you find a fic you enjoy, please leave the author a kudos or a comment! ❤️