#dramione side pairing

[dramioneasks]

In the Library Where He Kept Her - GreenInk_RedLetters - E, 32 chapters - Draco wallows in the passing of his wife Hermione Granger. By charming her favorite books, he's able to live vicariously watching their memories while succumbing to his grief. It will be up to him, the persistence of friends, and the legacy of Hermione's love whether or not Draco chooses to continue living in the past, or shut the doors of the library for good. Told through both flashbacks and present-day scenes.

[writer-swift-knight]

NOW COMPLETE!

Summary

Fallen from grace due to his involvement in the war, Draco Malfoy fully intended on entering his ministry-mandated eighth year at Hogwarts as one thing: miserable.

But what happens when the most terrifying witch with a blood lust for justice—The Brightest Witch of Her Age—assigns herself as Draco's unofficial bodyguard against their vengeful cohorts?

Draco earns himself what is aptly referred to as Scary Granger Privileges™.

Details

Dramione, 110k words

Hogwarts Eighth Year

BAMF Hermione

Soft Draco

Mutual Pining

Slow Burn

Forced Cohabitation

Ron Weasley Bashing

Good Slytherins

NottPott and Panville Side Pairings

Artwork by @cocotamarindo 🤍

[myfictionalboyfriendsandme]

Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming

Pairing(s): Theodore Nott x female!reader, Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini x Luna Lovegood

Prompt(s): "Shut up, I'm trying to confess my love to you."

Word Count: around 4,100

Warning(s): very AU, sad reader, swearing, DRAMIONE FOREVER, Sirius and Remus are alive FIGHT ME, mentions blood but nothing graphic, changing certain rules about Hogwarts to fit the story (prefect rules specifically), no house for the reader is mentioned but I suppose it's implied that she's gryffindor??

Rating: T (one f bomb)

Author's Note(s): This is so self indulgent, lol. I love fictional Theo. I don't know if y'all picture someone specific in your head but I always envision Cody Christian as Theo. Enjoy!

-----------------

"(Y/N), are you okay?"

It was always the same question.

(Y/N), are you okay? 

(Y/N), do you need anything?

(Y/N), can we do anything for you?

And she always gave the same answer.

"No, I'm fine."

But she wasn't fine, and she hadn't been fine for quite some time.

She sat alone in her bedroom at 12 Grimmauld Place. The rain pattering down against the window like tears against the glass. The fireplace was lit, emmitting a soft glow about the room. A shabby knitted blanket was wrapped around her shoulders, keeping in what little warmth she felt. There was a cup of tea sitting on the side table that she hadn't touched since Mrs. Weasley put it there, the heat long gone.

She was surrounded by people. The entire Order of the Phoenix would spend their days coming and going. The permanent residents of 12 Grimmauld Place, like the Weasley family and of couse Sirius and Remus, wandered the house daily awaiting news of anything.

And she still felt so lonely.

No one in the house really understood why she felt the way she did. No one except Hermione. Hermione was in the same situation as her, she just hid her feelings better. No one knew that Hermione would sneak into (Y/N)'s room at night and the two girls would cry themselves to sleep, hugging each other in comfort. (Y/N) was the only one around who knew how Hermione was really feeling.

Distraught.

Sad.

Frightened.

On the verge of losing the only shred of sanity they had left.

There was a sharp knock on (Y/N)'s door before she heard it open, knocking her from her melancholy trance.

"(Y/N)."

She turned to look at Hermione standing in the doorway.

"Sirius just sent a patronus." She said, her voice laced with urgency. "He's on his way here and he has three defectors with him."

(Y/N) immediately stood up, the blanket around her shoulders abandoned in the chair, her eyes wide. "Hermione..."

The other girl nodded. "I know."

Bounding towards the door, (Y/N) wiped her eyes. "Could it be them?"

"I don't know."

"Did Sirius say anything else?"

"No."

"Absolutely nothing?"

"Just that he's on his way here."

She felt like she'd been struck by lightning.

"(Y/N), we have to be emotionally prepared if it's not them." Hermione whispered.

"Fuck that, Hermione."

"(Y/N)..."

"No. I can't take this anymore. I really can't."

Before Hermione could say anything else, there was a commotion from downstairs. The two girls whipped their heads toward the staircase. Muffled screams were coming from the main level of the house.

(Y/N) looked at Hermione before the two of them exited the room, moving to look over the third floor banister. They saw Harry and Ron rushing down the stairs, Ginny and Luna close behind.

"Let's go." (Y/N) said, already making her way to the top of the stairs.

She hurried down the steps as fast as she could without hurting herself, Hermione on her heels.

Please, please, please let him be here. Please let him be okay.

Once they reached the landing between the first flight of stairs and the second, (Y/N) scanned the main floor. Harry and Ron stood at the bottom of the stairs, their attention turned towards whatever was happening in the dining room. Her eyes moved towards the doorway and she froze. Standing there was Blaise Zabini, Luna Lovegood wrapped in his arms.

Her heart stopped.

"Blaise?" She asked.

His eyes moved towards her.

Another body moved through the doorway revealing a head of platinum blonde hair.

Hermione gasped. "Draco?"

His head snapped to where they stood on the landing. "Hermione!"

Hermione moved past (Y/N) and rushed down the rest of the stairs before throwing herself into the boy's arms.

(Y/N) stopped breathing.

Three of them. There's supposed to be three of them. Where is he?

She carefully made her way down the rest of the stairs, moving by a very disgruntled Ron Weasley and a rather perplexed Harry Potter. "Where is he?" She couldn't help but notice that Blaise and Draco were both covered in blood. Her voice cracked as she felt the tears well up in her eyes. "Blaise, please."

He looked at her, his brown eyes tired and full of sympathy. Another scream echoed through the house. Without a word, he looked towards the dining room.

That's when her heart cracked in two.

Members of the Order were scattered around the room. Ginny was running back and forth between the dining room table and the parlour carrying bandages and vials of what looked like healing salves. Remus and Sirius stood with their backs to the main doorway, going through the vials and picking out what would be the most helpful before setting them on the table in a separate pile. Molly was scurrying this way and that around the table, her attention set on something different every few seconds. But on the table was a boy, bloody and writhing in pain.

Theo.

She fell to her knees, her face in her hands. "No..." The tears that had been pooling in her eyes finally fell. A pair of arms wrap around her. "He can't die. He can't die. He can't die."

"I'm so sorry, (Y/N). Come on, you don't need to see this." Hermione held her up, supporting almost all of her weight so she wouldn't fall back to the ground. "Mrs. Weasley knows what she's doing."

(Y/N)'s eyes darted back to Theo. "I can't leave him."

"Let's just go to the kitchen and let them work. We won't be far."

As Theo let out another agonizing cry, (Y/N) let Hermione lead her away. She looked back towards the dining room entryway but it was blocked by Blaise, Luna, and Draco who were following them down the hallway. The three looked back at her with sympathetic eyes.

The next thing (Y/N) knew, the group had entered the kitchen. Hermione had pulled out a chair for her to sit in before taking the seat directly to her right. Draco followed suit and sat next to Hermione while Blaise and Luna sat across from them. Once they were situated, Blaise grabbed Luna's hand and held it in his lap.

"We didn't know you and Blaise were seeing each other, Luna." Hermione observed.

Luna laid her head against his shoulder, smiling softly despite the sadness of her friend. Blaise glanced down at her before answering. "We're both rather private, Granger. We didn't really want to advertise our relationship to all of Hogwarts, especially considering the state of the wizarding world."

Hermione nodded. She looked at Draco. "I understand that. I think we all do."

There was a moment of silence as everyone at the table took in their current situation. (Y/N), finally snapping back to reality, looked at Blaise again. There were blood stains covering the front of his shirt and a rip in the sleeve of his jacket. Draco also looked disheveled, his usuaully styled hair unkempt and scruffy. Both boys had dark circles under their eyes.

"What happened?"

Blaise made eye contact with (Y/N). More screams sounded from upstairs. "(Y/N), I don't think-"

"I want to know." She interrupted.

He sighed. "Okay." He looked at Hermione then back to (Y/N). "We've been planning to defect for months. I think we all came to the same conclusion around the same time. The night Dumbledore died."

Out of the corner of her eye, (Y/N) could see Draco squeeze Hermione's hand.

"We wanted to stay that night, but it was impossible. They would have killed us right then and there. We had no choice but to leave." Blaise paused and looked at Draco. "We practically had to drag Theo." He cleared his throat. "Earlier today, we were summoned to go on a mission. Someone had gotten word to the Dark Lord about Order members being in Diagon Alley. We were told we would have the upper hand so an ambush would be easy. That's when Draco sent his patronus to Sirius."

"Draco, that could've been dangerous! What if someone had seen you?" Hermione scolded.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "No one knows I can even form a patronus, Hermione. It was the only way to get word to the Order as fast as possible."

"Yes, now we all know that Draco's patronus is an otter. Adorable, mate." Blaise quipped.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh, piss off."

"Anyway," Blaise continued, "when we showed up, it was already a shit show. The fighting had already begun, so they sent us in as reinforcements. Luckily for us, it looked like the Order was winning. That was the only way our plan was going to work."

"I saw Sirius right away." Draco added. "There was no one else around right then so I helped him disarm Yaxley, then before anything else could happen I cast my patronus again. Poor bloke looked like he'd seen a ghost."

"That's when Theo asked him for help." Blaise leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "Sirius rushed us into a side alley and asked if we were being honest. It didn't really take much convincing though. We all looked rather... anxious. Then he told us to apparate to the Burrow. Said he'd meet us there after the fighting had stopped."

There was another pause as Blaise hesitated.

Draco continued. "The four of us were about to apparate, but-"

"The four of you?" Hermione asked.

He nodded then bowed his head. "Pansy was with us, too."

(Y/N) watched Hermione put her hand on Draco's back in comfort.

"Before any of us could leave, we were cornered in the alleyway." Blaise spoke up. "Sirius stepped in front of us and blocked a curse, which obviously tipped off the one's shooting at us that we were no longer on the same side. It was Dolohov and Theo's dad. They just started shooting anything they could at us, yelling about blood traitors and the like. Well, that caught the attention of Bellatrix."

(Y/N) felt her blood run cold at the name.

"She rounded the corner and when she saw Draco, she went ballistic." Blaise explained. "She sent hexes at all of us but she took one last look at Draco before she sent the killing curse his way."

Draco shifted uncomfortably in his chair. (Y/N) saw a tear form in his eye. "Pansy saved me." He sniffled.

Hermione whipped her head at Draco in surprise as (Y/N) let out a light gasp.

Blaise took a deep breath before he continued speaking. "None of us could have seen it coming. She just... stepped in front of him. Then she was gone. We didn't have time to do anything about it. I saw Lupin and a Weasley come up behind Dolohov and then Sirius yelled for us to go, so we apparated."

"So what happened to Theo?" (Y/N) asked, wiping her eyes.

"It was his father." Draco sneared. "Bastard sent a cutting curse at Theo before he could apparate."

Blaise sighed. "Sirius and Mr. Weasley showed up seconds after we did. They probably planned on more of an interrogation but then they saw Theo and brought us straight here."

There was a lull in conversation then. None of them had anything else to say. Hermione was rubbing circles into Draco's upper back. (Y/N) just stared at a spot on the wooden table, unable to meet eyes with anyone.

Another screamed echoed through the house.

Luna stood up. "I think I'll make some tea."

As the blonde moved about the kitchen, (Y/N) felt heartbroken. Heartbroken for Theo. Heartbroken for Pansy. Blaise. Draco. All of them.

They didn't deserve any of this.

-------

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting at the kitchen table staring at the same spot of wood, but she noticed the tea in front of her was cold.

As usual.

"(Y/N)?"

Her head snapped to the doorway. Ginny stood there, observing everyone in the room before looking back at her. "Uh, mum says you can come up if you'd like."

She didn't have to be told twice.

Dashing up the stairs two by two, she didn't think she'd ever moved so fast in her life. She made it down the hallway and to the dining room entryway in record time, the rest of the group following behind her. (Y/N) looked into the room and saw that it wasn't as chaotic as the last time she'd been standing there. The dining room table had been transfigured into a bed. Mrs. Weasley stood near the foot of it, looking at Theo who had been laid against the pillows. His arms and his chest were wrapped in bandages, but he was breathing.

"(Y/N), dear." Mrs. Weasley whispered, beckoning her closer.

Inching her way into the room, (Y/N) looked to the motherly woman. She looked exhausted. "Is he...?" (Y/N) asked, trailing off.

"He's going to be fine." Mrs. Weasley answered. "He lost a lot of blood, but we gave him a blood replenishing potion. He probably won't wake up for a while yet, but I can assure you he will be okay."

(Y/N) released a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding.

"Do you need anything, dear? What can I do for you?"

(Y/N) was in awe. What would any of them have done without Molly Weasley?

Finally taking her eyes off Theo, (Y/N) turned to face her. "You've done more than enough, Mrs. Weasley." She made her way closer to the woman and threw her arms around her in an embrace. "I can't even begin to thank you for what you've done."

(Y/N) felt Mrs. Weasley's arms tighten around her just a smidge before pulling back and smiling at her, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Is this boy the reason you haven't been drinking your tea?"

In that moment, she really couldn't help herself. (Y/N) gave a soft chuckle before turning her face towards Theo. "Is it that obvious?"

Mrs. Weasley continued smiling, her eyes softening just a touch. "Oh, (Y/N), the boys under this roof might be a bit dense, but I'm not." She moved to grab a blanket from a chair in the corner before making her way back. "I knew something had to be bothering you. I would've bet anything that it was a someone." She wrapped the blanket around (Y/N)'s shoulders. "Does he know how you feel?"

(Y/N) didn't know how to answer. Did Theo know how she felt? She thought he did, but come to think of it, she'd never out right said the words I love you to him.

In the grand scheme of things, (Y/N) and Theo hadn't actually been together for very long. She'd always had a crush on him, there was no doubt of that, but they hadn't really spoken to one another until their sixth year at school. If (Y/N) was really being honest with herself, she'd always been too nervous to even look in his direction, afraid she'd do something to embarrass herself. Then, one fateful day in potions class, Professor Slughorn introduced amortentia.

It was like she was there. The same fragrances she registered in potions suddenly wafted into her nose, overtaking the rest of her senses. 

That day, down in the dungeons of Hogwarts, (Y/N) was overcome with a feeling so overwhelming she really didn't know what to do. She couldn't help but look at him.

Little did she know, the same thing was happening to Theo.

They locked eyes across the classroom and (Y/N) thought she might have died a little inside. He smiled at her and her body erupted into butterflies.

One would think after such an earth-shattering experience, a person could maybe gain the confidence to talk to another.

That was not the case.

(Y/N) and Theo didn't have any other interactions, big or small, until almost four months later.

Because Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to one another, there was some tension among their table in potions. (Y/N) and Harry, the two who were stuck in middle ground territory, were trying their best to make everyone get along. There weren't any positive results as of yet.

This led to their group being separated, because as Slughorn put it, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

She wasn't sure how it happened, or why, but she was then sat at a table with Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott. (Y/N) tried her best to avoid eye contact with the cute brunette, and was actually doing really well until she realized she had forgotten to grab an Ashwinder egg. She sighed, rather deeply, and made to move to the storage cupboard, but before she left her stool, a gloved hand entered her peripheral vision and set an egg down next to her cauldron. She quickly looked to her left and saw Theo looking right at her.

And that was only the beginning.

It was Theo's idea. They find a spot and meet in secret. They were both prefects, so it wasn't hard to do. Without raising too much suspicion, they would trade shifts with whoever was partnered with the other. They would walk the halls doing their prefect duties and then they would go to their special place.

The astronomy tower.

Not many people ventured to the astronomy tower. It was secluded and sort of cut off from the rest of the castle. It was the perfect place for two young people to meet without anyone else finding out. Until the night Dumbledore was killed.

Theo had been acting weird the couple days leading up to it. Everytime they were together (Y/N) noticed he seemed on edge, almost nervous to be around her. (Y/N) was beginning to think he had changed his mind. Maybe he didn't feel the same way she did. Maybe he wanted to move on from her. Maybe there was someone else.

"Are we meeting at the usual time tomorrow?" (Y/N) asked, looking up at him. They were sitting near the edge of the astronomy tower. The sky was clear and the stars were shining bright.

Theo didn't say anything right away. He was staring out at the grounds surrounding the castle as if in a trance.

"Theo," (Y/N) said, her voice trembling, "are you okay? You've been acting... different."

He seemed to gain some awareness back before he looked back at her. "No."

She was shocked. "What? Theo-" But she was interrupted.

"You can't be here tomorrow night."

In an instant, (Y/N) knew something was wrong. "Why?"

"Please, (Y/N)," Theo said, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly, "you can't come anywhere near the astronomy tower tomorrow night. Promise me."

(Y/N) didn't know what to think. After a few moments of silence, her eyes met his. "I promise."

Theo let go of her hand and moved his hand gently up to the side of her face before bringing his forehead to hers. "Whatever happens, we'll see each other again. I know we will."

Any doubt (Y/N) had been feeling about him immediately lifted. She could feel her eyes start to tear up. "Why does this feel like a goodbye?"

Theo pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Because it might be." Then he leaned in and kissed her.

That was the last time she had seen him. The next night, she was roaming the halls with other members of the D.A. when the death eaters had broken into the school and Dumbledore was killed.

(Y/N) was suddenly shifted back to reality.

"We never..." (Y/N) started before trailing off. "I never got the chance."

Mrs. Weasley smiled softly then patted (Y/N)'s arm lightly. "Well, it looks like you'll get the chance, dearie."

-------

(Y/N) couldn't remember falling asleep. After her conversation with Mrs. Weasley, the rest of the teenagers that were in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place made their way up the stairs into the dining room as well. Draco and Blaise wanted to check on their friend and both made sounds of relief upon seeing he was going to be okay before they were ushered up the stairs where the bedrooms were located.

Moving the comfiest chair she could find to Theo's bedside, (Y/N) kept the blanket Mrs. Weasley had given her and sat down. She tried to make herself as comfortable as possible before she grabbed Theo's hand. She must have fallen asleep looking at him because when she woke up, her face was sideways on the edge of the bed and his hand was still in hers. She propped her head up with her open hand and took a moment to look at the bindings across his arms and his chest, her eyes moving all the way up to his face.

It took her a second to realize Theo's eyes were open and looking at her.

"Theo?" She whispered. Her voice was hesitant, as if she thought it was a dream.

He smirked at her but it was full of adoration. Only Theodore Nott could make a smirk look adorable.

"I told you we'd see each other again."

(Y/N) didn't know what to do. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

Theo chuckled gently. "Would you like me to pinch you?"

She felt a flood of relief overtake her body and it was so powerful, she started to cry.

"Oh, darling, no." Theo tried to move but grimaced before deciding it was probably better to lay still. "Darling, please. Don't cry."

(Y/N) sniffled and brought the sleeve of her shirt up to her eyes to wipe the tears away. "I can't help it, Theo! I was so worried!" Theo attempted to interrupt but (Y/N) continued before he could get a single word in. "I've been worried for months! I didn't know if you were alive or dead, and then you show up here covered in blood!"

"(Y/N)-"

"And then Draco tells me you were hit by a cutting curse by your own father! You could have died by bleeding out if you hadn't gotten here sooner than you did. Then the last thing I would've said to you before you died would've been something stupid and not "I love you" like it should have been-"

"(Y/N)-"

"But I was too scared to say anything to you about it the last time we saw each other-"

"(Y/N)!"

"Shut up, Theo, I'm trying to confess my love to you!"

And then there was silence.

(Y/N) was sure her face looked as red as a tomato. Her skin felt like it was vibrating off of her body. She could feel the palpable silence between her and the boy in front of her.

She looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry." She stood up and turned her back to him before making her way to the entrance of the dining room.

"You love me?"

She froze. It was so quiet (Y/N) wasn't sure he'd actually said it. Turning back to him, she saw he was still looking at her, a new emotion in his eyes.

She took a deep breath. "Theo..." She moved back to the chair at his bedside. "I always have."

Theo narrowed his eyes as if he couldn't actually believe it. "Really?"

(Y/N) nodded and swiped a piece of hair behind her ear, looking down at her hands in her lap.

There was a beat of silence before Theo spoke up again. "I love you, too."

She smiled. The words she had always longed to hear. It was like a symphony of angels. Her eyes reached his and they looked considerably brighter than they did before. They both chuckled lightly.

"Now you tell me I'm not dreaming." Theo whispered, a tone of astonishment in his words.

(Y/N) smirked. "Would you like me to pinch you?"

He opened his arms wide and beckened her over. Hesitantly, she moved closer to the edge of the bed before slowly moving into his embrace and relaxing into his chest. "Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm just a bit sore this morning, love. I'll be fine." He pulled her even closer to his body. "Just let me hold you and I'll overlook the fact you told me to shut up."

(Y/N) laid her head against his shoulder and into the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry."

She felt Theo leave a soft kiss against her hair. "You're forgiven, my love."

[heyjude19-writing]

I really enjoyed that u made a drarry starter kit/guide to reading that genre. Can u by chance make one for dramione (pls plug in when i should maybe read ur works, cuz all i see is so much praise for it! and im so excited)

happy new year !

Happy new year anon, and I'm more than happy to put this together! A quick disclaimer: I won't be recommending any dark fics. I’m not much of a dark fic reader myself and unless that’s something a reader specifically asks for, it’s not what I’d recommend starting with for dramione, especially if you’re new to the pairing. As always, read/write what you want, this is a purely subjective list. It’s also doomed to be incomplete/lacking. This ship is 20-plus years old at this point, there are more than 20,000 fics on Ao3 alone, which doesn’t account for the FFN-only fics as well as those lost to FFN purges and deleted LJ communities over the years (pours one out for Hawthorn and Vine). Don’t be afraid to fall down an older fic rabbit hole, there’s loads out there if you don’t mind looking.

Let’s start with fics that focus on Draco putting in the work to earn his redemption.

The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy is a Deathly Hallows rewrite and an excellent way to ease into this ship.

Once you've read that, come on over to the post-war side of things where we completely disregard the epilogue:

Remain Nameless

Wait and Hope followed immediately by Beginning and End

Apple Pies and Other Amends

The Eagle's Nest

Graveyard Valentine

Avalanche

Somewhere Down the Line

Not Fond of Asking

commit this to memory

Waifs and Strays

Tin Angel

Okay, now that you’re convinced Draco has the potential to even approach Hermione and that they could eventually be a couple, here are some more plot-driven fics.

Love and Other Historical Accidents

Heavy Lies the Crown

Distance

Enekpe’s Clock

Between Certifiable and Bliss

Carpathian

Looking Glass

Five Days

Okay, now you’re fully sold on these two and want to run the gamut of tropes, ratings, and story length:

Out of Order

Mutually Beneficial

Movements, Contrived and Improvised

He Becomes

Les Pelerins

The Alkahest

In These Silent Days

What You Think is Right

Boardwalk

Well Said, Hermione

Strange Birds

Mugglefied

The Seduction

Sex Ed

Breath Mints / Battle Scars

Ardent Bonds

Ordinary People

Ways and Means

Draco Malfoy’s Halfway House for Wayward Hens

Out of Mind

Celestial Navigation

I also want to acknowledge my FFN roots, since the first ever dramione fic I read was called their room. Some more FFN fics:

Macbeth

Fallen

The Mountain and the Sea

Bus Stop

Eight and Eighth

One Day in Autumn

Okay, that's probably more than enough to get people started 😅. Happy reading anon!

[zeebee3]

Dramione Month day 13: forced proximity

Draco/Hermione

Rated M

Touch-starved Draco, crying, dry humping

(Link to AO3 here)

———

“We only have to play it once.”

It wasn’t the comfort that her tone made it sound.

Draco scoffed dryly. “The song is four and a half minutes long.”

Standing across the Slytherin table, Granger folded her arms over her chest. He’d hoped she was only here, accosting him at dinner, to inform him of her success after having complained to Trelawney about the assignment. To instead be faced with having to go through with it…

He didn’t want to give it air, but, well, they both knew what they had to do. Trelawney had been very clear with her assignment in her newly minted Mental and Emotional Well-Being class. Being obligated to attend the class was its own issue, but being partnered with Granger was less than ideal. They’d repaired some of the animosity between them but were nowhere close to being comfortable enacting the assignment – not that he’d have felt remotely comfortable doing it with anyone else, either.

But his own sensitivities were beside the point. For her to not have rightfully and adamantly protested against being paired with him…

He was skeptical, and his question was imbued with it. “You’re seriously okay with having to hug me for four and a half minutes?”

Her arms tightened but her chin lifted a stubborn half inch. “We don’t have a choice. Professor Trelawney—”

“I know, I know.”

He rubbed his brow, needing a moment to acclimate to the concept that for the next almost-five-minutes, he’d be hugging Hermione Granger. And not only hugging but holding, the position so intimate he’d blushed at the in-class demonstration performed by two simulacra transfigured from a cobweb.

Trelawney had been blathering on about aligning heart chakras and deep breathing and the power of physical touch as a way to unlock the light of humanity in one another, but all Draco had seen was: hug.

He’d have to hold her on his lap. For the duration of a song. Salazar.

He sighed, lowering his hand. “Fine. When?”

When her eyes dropped to his empty dinner plate, his stomach lurched. Godsdamned Gryffindors and their inability to not charge right ahead. Though, if he was being self-reflective – something he usually endeavored not to be – it was clear he could use a bit of gumption to unstick himself from the lethargy he’d found himself caught up in.

“We could go outside?” she suggested. “It’s a lovely evening. And then we…well, we’d have privacy without being…”

The meaning was plain; he raised a quelling hand, not needing nor wanting her to explain all the other private places she’d rather not be alone with him.

“Outside is fine. The meadow, just beyond the Greenhouses?”

“Yes.” She took a step back, preparing to leave. “Good.”

He rose and followed her out. The warmth of summer lingered in the air and behind the Greenhouses, the grounds opened up into an endless sea of grasses and late summer wildflowers. It was horribly beautiful but mercifully empty.

“So, I’ll just…” From her pocket, she withdrew the small orb that Trelawney had handed to each pair. A single tap of her wand set it hovering a few feet from the ground. “And now you…”

With a resigned inhale, he sank to the meadow. “Trelawney won’t know if we just…sat and listened to it?” He sent an uncharacteristically hopeful look up at her. “Side by side?”

“No. I’m not risking having to do this twice. Come on, let's just do it.”

She clicked her fingers and dutifully, he stretched his legs out straight in front of him, bracing himself with hands behind as she awkwardly lowered down until she was perched on his thighs, face to face. It was immediately clear she was holding the majority of her weight off him, and so he sighed again.

“You won’t break me, Granger. Get comfortable so we can get this over with.”

“Fine.” She settled on him fully, her weight grounding him to the earth in a way he found oddly comforting. “Now…put your arms…”

Before she could finish the instruction, he sat forward, arms coming up to loosely wrap around her ribs, matching the directions of the cobwebs in only the most technical sense. Her arms curled around his shoulders, close enough that her elbows dug into him just slightly.

“Is this right?” she asked, half to herself, then drew back only enough to glance down between them, wiggling slightly to center herself over his lap and making a soft sound of approval when their sternums were properly aligned. “There. That feels better.”

“Sure.” Anything to get the music going, so that it would be over.

Granger, perhaps sensing his tension, pressed her lips together into a firm line and reached for her wand, tapping the orb again. It began to emit a soft green light, and then the tones of several string instruments rose up in a long, drawn-out overture.

He inhaled deeply and fixed his gaze to the distance over her shoulder, letting the swells and ebbs of the music wash over him. It was a beautiful song, mournful and yearning, and as the low, grounding notes of a cello supported the ever-soaring rise of the violins, he felt his sinuses prick with emotion.

Fuck.

He swallowed roughly, resisting a more tell-tale sniff, and self-consciously adjusted his hold on her. Her hands slid along her forearms, close enough that he could feel the fingers of her right hand against his right shoulder. Her curls brushed his face in cadence with the way the breeze was flirting with the wildflowers. Her knees hugged his hips, body warm and all around him.

His palms were sweating, heart pounding, as the raw, untended-to emotions within him rose and rose and rose.

When the music hit a plateau, all the instruments idling together in a place of balanced harmony, she exhaled slowly, contentedly, and relaxed into his hold. He couldn’t help himself. A sound escaped him, a broken, muffled half sob, and his entire body flared with mortification.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, clearing his throat.

“It’s alright,” she whispered. “I feel a little emotional, too.”

Her arms tightened around him, a tiny gesture of the truth in her words, and he couldn’t stem the quiver in his lip. It had been so long since he’d felt safe in someone's arms.

“I don’t know why I’m–” He broke off, embarrassed by the warble in his voice. He cleared his throat roughly, and then again. “We can stop – we should stop.”

“Not yet.” Her voice was soft. “The song isn’t finished. Just hold me, and I’ll hold you, alright?”

The tension in his body was beginning to ache, his jaw and chest and throat all tight with restraint, so when she slid one hand down his back in a soft, soothing touch, he didn’t have the strength left to control himself. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and let out a shuddery, tearful breath.

The soft murmurs of her understanding melted into the music, until all he could hear were string instruments harmonizing with the early evening crickets, and all he could feel was the soul-deep anguish of the second chance he’d been given by all the living beings around him. He didn’t deserve it, not in any measure, but here he was, being given it bountifully.

There was nothing he could do that would make her more disgusted by him than what he’d already done, and so he took the invitation offered and anointed her with tears.

It was only after he collected himself that he realized she was trembling in his arms, wracked with soft, quiet sobs. It was reflex to haul her closer, hugging her to his body until there was no space between them at all. She gripped him back.

The music faded, and in the absence of it, everything else sharpened.

The heat of his skin where her temple was pressed to his neck, warm exhales gusting down his damp shirt. The scent of her hair; the texture of it against his lips. He’d never held someone for so long; long enough to have begun to forget where his body ended and hers began. The material of her jumper was coarse as he worried at it with his fingertips, feeling the faint ridges of her ribs underneath as her breathing leveled out.

For a moment they were quiet, and then she drew back just enough to tilt her face up to his. Her eyes were glossy, red-rimmed and framed with tear-darkened lashes. It felt like a liminal state, to be so close to warmth and amber; he was momentarily suspended in her gaze.

“Draco,” she whispered, voice thin and precarious. “Would you kiss me?”

Whether the question was meant to assess his newfound ethos or if she simply needed the reassurance that breaking down didn't mean being broken hardly mattered, not when the answer to both was the same.

He swallowed, and nodded, and when she licked her lips, he leaned in to do the same.

Her lips tasted like salt water but inside, she was sweet. A soft sound escaped him when his tongue found hers, curiosity and pleasure and awareness all rolled into one. She returned it, darting her tongue against his, tilting her head to welcome him further in. His hands slid until his forearms were banded around her back and in response, her arms cinched around his shoulders, knees tightening around his hips.

To be kissed after being held was a luxury he’d never known, and when her fingers hesitantly rose to card through his hair, he nearly wept again. But with their hips pressed snugly and her tongue sliding deliciously against his, the intimacy of the moment shifted to a different variety.

“Sorry,” he mumbled into her mouth, when her hips canted against his and discovered how fervently he was responding. “Ignore it.”

She pinned his bottom lip between her teeth instead, and rolled her hips forward with intention.

“Actually, if it’s alright–” She sucked on his lip, then kissed him again. “–if you wouldn’t mind–it’s been so long–”

He kissed her hard, dropping a hand to her arse. “Fuck. Anything.”

“Then—like this…just like this.”

She spread her knees, hips tilting downward, and he shot a hand between them to align his cock for her, tugging it up along his zip, knuckles brushing against her in the process. Even through the crumpled fabric of her skirt, he could feel a new sort of heat and dampness.

He wanted to rotate his wrist, to rub his fingers between her legs and watch as her face filled with an agony so different from before. But she’d said just like this and so he slid his hand to her thigh instead, helping her roll her hips over him again and again and again.

She panted into his mouth and he had to brace with a hand behind himself, thighs tensed with the restrained desire to thrust up against her. The music was still echoing in his head, complemented by the sounds of nature performing its twilight routine, tucking away and waking up in perfect symbiosis. It was an insubstantial distraction.

It shouldn’t have felt so easy to find balance with her, not after all the ways he’d tried to tip the scales, but in that moment, he didn’t overthink it. And so when his head fell back, heavy on his nape at her next perfect grind over him, he groaned and gave in.

“Oh.” Her knees slid further on the grass at the urgent upward roll of his hips. “Oh gods, do that again.”

He did, fingers curling into the grass and her jumper, the heels of his dragonhide boots digging into the earth as he bent his knees enough to rock his hips up under her, grinding against her. Her lips slid to his jaw and then his neck, the damp heat of her gasping breaths against his tear-streaked skin making him shiver, goosebumps prickling across his body.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Like that. Like that.”

If it had been long for her, then it had been eons for him. And with the way she was grabbing at him, holding tight, her fingers agony in his hair, the pain-pleasure of it making his eyes roll shut–

“I’m going to—” He panted, helpless to stop it. “Oh…fuck, I’m going to—Granger, I’m–”

She whimpered into his mouth, stealing the rest of his warning and destroying any remaining chance he had of holding off. Heat flared in his lower abdomen, radiating along his inner thighs and up. His jaw stuttered then went lax as the pleasure crested. A broken sound muffled behind his lips and then, when it became too much, into the crook of her neck. Jumper fisted tightly. Pleasure. Relief.

He was only distantly aware of her own shuddering, the high little whimpers barely escaping the tightness of her throat, and then the pleasure faded, and in the absence of it, everything else sharpened.

The weight of her body over his, overwhelming in the comfort of it. Her exhales, gusting over his damp lips, wet from her kisses and tongue and his tears. The scent of her arousal; of his own. The reality that they’d just gotten off together. Outside. In plain sight, the sun just barely flirting with the horizon. After having hardly exchanged a word.

Panic was rising up, the uncertainty of what would come next his familiar foe, but before it had a chance to retighten the knot in his chest, she leaned back.

He winced as she put fresh pressure on his sensitive, spent cock but the next second she was settling on his thighs, knees tucking in around his hips and cheek resting against his shoulder.

He felt the swish of her wand at his side and then the overture was swirling in the air around them, the rising lilt of violin grounded by the low drag of the cello.

In his chest, his heart seized.

She exhaled slowly, contentedly, relaxing into his hold, and he couldn’t stop himself.

“Granger–”

“Shh.” She nuzzled against him, curls tickling his nose. “Just hold me, and I’ll hold you. Alright?”

He huffed a little laugh, but did as she said. They could sort it all out when the song ended.

Or perhaps they’d just let it play again.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

what’s your opinion on draco x hermione as a couple? sorry if you’ve answered this before but i haven’t been able to find an answer 🤔

Hi, and no I don't believe I have spoken about Dramione before.

As with all shipping things, ship whatever you want these are just my opinion.

With that out of the way, I honestly, I have a little soft spot for Dramione. Now, do I think it makes sense in canon, not really, but I don't mind them as a side pairing. Like, you won't find me reading/writing fics specifically for Dramione, but I'm fine when they are there.

You see, Dramione hits a very particular spot for me. That spot is that I like both characters about the same amount (which is I think they're written alright for what they are, but I find them kinda annoying in the books). That places them as equals inside my head and makes shipping them with each other easier than shipping them with characters I like more than them. This is just how shipping works for me sometimes.

As for the character personalities themselves, I think Draco and Hermione have a surprising lot in common with each other.

Draco is implied to be a top student (he's in Potions NEWT class, for example), like Hermione, meaning he's also very academically inclined. But neither of them is some brilliant strategist and while they can come up with creative solutions, they don't think very far ahead with these solutions. They don't necessarily complete each other intellectually, but I think they're about equal to each other, I think. Both are brave when the situation calls for it. Hermione hangs out with Harry and Ron, who never really had money growing up, but her family goes on ski trips. She's the only daughter of two dentists. You just know she lives well and is used to comforts at home.

Both, while having very loving parents, feel isolated from their peers growing up. You can tell Hermione was likely bullied in her muggle primary school and while Draco hangs out with Crabbe and Goyle, he isn't actually close to any of them. Both of them also share the experience of loving their parents, and yet having a great divide between them and their parents. Hermione's parents love her, but they could never connect to the wizarding world fully. Lucius and Narcissa love Draco, but once Voldemort returns, I think Draco feels more and more distant from his parents because he isn't actually a blood purist. We see that when he's truly alone and seeking comfort and a friend in year 6 he talks to Moaning Myrtle, who is a muggleborn.

I think, like Myrtle, Hermione could appreciate that Draco is sensitive. This is something I feel might get on Harry's nerves on occasion considering how he hates Cho being all weepy, but I think Hermione would find it sweet.

I do like that Hermione is the more ruthless one between the two. Like, she is the more willing of the two of them to come up with some crazy idea that is most difficult illegal (like trapping Rita in a jar or setting Snape's robes on fire). Like Draco would be horrified at the thought of breaking into the ministry, Hermione would consider it a challenge. This dynamic could be really fun.

It's a dynamic that doesn't exist with Drarry or Dron in the same way since Harry and Ron, while both are more ruthless than Draco and also break into the ministry do so out of necessity and usually would try to avoid danger. Hermione, on the other hand, is more willing to go in headfirst into crazy dangerous shit like the Gryffindor she is. I think Hermione is less hinged than Ron, and Harry is what I'm saying, and it's one of my favorite aspects of her character. And while Hermione can be ruthless, and even violent, she's also weird about violence. She has a certain line she is terrified of crossing; that line is around killing and Unforgivable curses. I think terrified is the right word because I think she knows she could cross it and it scares her. We see Harry cast Unforgivables, and while I think Hermione could cast them if she was pushed to it, it wouldn't be something she tried on her own accord. I also think she'd be more horrified with herself for succeeding than Harry is. Draco is similar in that he can cast Unforgivables when pushed to, but he's disgusted with himself over it and feels sick. What I'm saying is that Hermione is softer in that respect (but also wackier in her plans), which I think would be very interesting when paired with Draco.

Both of them could be incredibly stubborn, which I think they'd both enjoy. Both Hermione and Draco are very verbal characters, they love talking and blabbering on and that would help them connect to each other because they would just start talking about something, and just, never really stop talking because both of them are like that. I think Draco would also enjoy bantering and arguing as a playful pastime the way Hermione and Ron do, which is also a point in Dramione's favor.

Hermione is less forgiving than Harry is, though, but she is capable of forgiving Draco, I don't think it's beyond her. Yes, slurs and all, I think it's in character for her to forgive him under the right circumstances.

So, like, while they're not a pairing I read all that much, they do compel me a bit. My main problem with Dramione is that often when they're paired up, both of them are too out of character for my liking.

[euphoric-dramione]

April Dramione fanfic wrap-up *with links*

Amor Vincit Omnia by Twin_Flame_Blues: a cute second-chance healing romance. i’m not usualully very much into these tropes, but i really enjoyed reading this. it was very long, considering that not that much was actually happening, but it was still easy to read and i always wanted to come back to it when i had to put it down.

Rosemary for Remembrance by rubber_soul02: a beatiful healing fic with a found family trope where draco is abit angsty but worthy of redepmtion and hermione is a bit darker because of her trauma that she cannot easily move on from.

Timeless by alexandra_emerson: i liked the idea of this fic, the complexity of time and relationships in that complex time, but the more it went on, the more it just became a bore. it was really repetitive too.

A Season For Setting Fires by mighbewriting: i feel like this fic was the perfect lenght - i didn’t get bored of it and it kept my attention throughout the whole story. i liked the idea very much, the writing was brilliant and the plot really hooked me. i feel like for a wartime fic it was a bit too sappy but i still really enjoyed it. the ending, i feel, was sort of the weakest poitn, otherwise i would’ve given this fic the highest grade.

Soft As It Began by rubber_soul02: i definitely did not read this fic because of the mystery aspect, but i loved that it was actually entertaining and i really wanted to find out what happened to harry. the chemistry between our ship was also really good.

Lumos & Lattes by magicalmolly: i liked this fic and was hooked on from the beginning, but i think it didn’t know what genre it wanted to be: a fluffy coffee shop au, a smutty fic, a healing and redemption fic, a dark murder fic, an angsty fic, a fluffy fic? by the end, i still don’t know. i don’t think the author is entirely sure either.

Love & Other Historical Accidents by PacificRimbaud: i wasn’t impressed by this. found it really dull and boring and repetitive. not that i’m a big fan of regency, but i thought i was a fan of time travel. maybe i’m not?

Break Her by BareWithMeHoney: dark and twisted, ust how i love it, alhtough very much out of character and many of the decisions h and d made really did not make sense. i also feel like thif fic explained more and showed little, but i still really enjoyed it.

Things We Say In The Dark by rubber_soul02: this was such a beautiful academic fic, although i wouldn’t say it was dark acdemia, but it definitely had academic vibes. i loved the characterization of draco and hermione, as well as their interactions and relationship. also, the side pairing of theo and harry hit me hard in the best way possible.

Ten out of Ten by morriganmercy: a fun marriage law smutty fic that i read in one sitting.

On The Nature Of Daylight by ikorous: i ate this fic up in 20 hours because i was obsessed with it. this type of smut and toxic draco was all i ever needed. although i have to admit this fic is not the best written and there are plot holes, but the plot just absolutely doesn’t matter here. this is the type of bad boy x good girl dynamic i’m talking about. the ending though, i have to say, was not very satisfactory, but i also don’t see any other way this could’ve ended.

Things We're All Too Young To Know by eevans: the first half of this fic was absolutely brilliant, but right after draco found out that hermione was preteding to be daphne, it seems like the whole ansgt and chemistry simply evaporated and i was left with nothing. overall, a quite fun fic, although i found the second hafl to be boring.

ONE-SHOTS:

Paris by Twin_Flame_Blues

A Bit of a Mess by slytherindiaries

Amortentia by LadyMidnight87

DNFs:

The Binding by Curly_Kay

Hot for Teacher by MotherofBulls

[365fanficchallenge]

Pairing: Dramione (Draco x Hermione)

Genre: Romance, library fluff, no war universe!

Summary: The one where Draco tolerates sharing the library with Hermione at night because neither of them can sleep. He signs up for silence and books, definitely not for wayward thoughts about a certain brunette.

Notes: A tiny, weeny scene from a fic I can't bring myself to write. 🥲 Draco loves to chill in the library to get away from the sidekicks, Hermione needs peace from the Golden nutjob trio, library's not big enough for the 2 of them! According to Draco! He's rude but learns to share, basically the whole plot here, but I don't want to write it 🥲, so here's the end scene.

As Draco sat draped across an emerald leather armchair with the weight of a tome in hand, he glanced over at Hermione. She looked lost in her book, a million moons away, her auburn curls cascading over her shoulders like a rock fall. Her shoulders rose gently with each slow, concentrated breath. He watched her turn a page noiselessly and bury herself deeper into the side of her chair.

He sighed.

He saw another image of Hermione, some years older, in a chair with a book, much like she was now, surrounded by a beautifully decorated cabin. She sat in the glow of a roaring fire with her toes curled softly into a gnarled maroon rug. There was a dog in front of her, and the Gryffindoor colours adorned every surface available. Pictures of the golden trio sat above the fireplace with some of just her and Weasley embracing tightly with hearty smiles. A child came running into the room and climbed onto her lap, pushing her book aside politely.

His hair was blonde.

His hair was white blonde. His hair was white blonde and-

Draco snapped his book shut, sitting up with a jerk, and shook his head once rapidly like he'd been on the edge of a seizure.

"Are you alright, Malfoy?"

He instinctually started to turn to her but stopped, thinking better of it and turning further away. No, he took a deep breath, trying to erase the image of their son on Hermione's lap; he really wasn't alright.

----------------

A/N: Is this entertaining? Should I continue?

[rifari2037]

Is Zutara other version of Dramione?

I used to be huge Harry Potter fan, I watched all the movies and read all the novels. I shipped Romione at that time, in fact Romione/Grintson was the reason I love Harry Potter series.

But, I don't mind with the idea of Dramione. I found it interesting, though. Once, I made a love triangle fanfic between Hermione, Ron, and Draco. I mean, who can blame the fans if Tom Felton played Draco Malfoy in that series?

The question here is, is Zutara another version of Dramione?

For the enemies to lovers trope, yes. But, that's it! Because there is huge differences between these pairs.

I'm pretty sure, people ship Dramione because of the actors. It doesn't make sense if the ship come from the characters or arcs. Because, Draco has no redemption arc. Also, Draco and Hermione never shows relationship development. They're enemies 'till the end of the series, or maybe not enemies in the very end of the movie, but not friends too.

In the original series, Draco isn't a complex character. He is a villain, raised to be a bully, racist, and coward. Compare with Saverus Snape, who has good and bad side, I don't remember Draco has good side in him. He might hesitate to kill Dumbledore, but that's because he's afraid and there's nothing to do with morality. Until final battle, he and his family run away from the battle like a cowards.

I never read Dramione fanfic, but I think the redemption arc and Draco's good side only happened in fanfic, which is fine, that's what fanfic for.

Now, let's talk about Zutara.

Zuko has the best redemption arc and it's canon. Even when he still villain, he has good side and morality. Zuko is a complex character, in fact he banished because he has good in him. He lost his way and find his destiny by himself.

This redemption arc makes the 'enemies to lovers' trope between Zuko and Katara make sense to be canon. People not only love this ship because they look good together, but also because of their storyline and relationship development. They build connection, saved each other lives, and complement each other in the battle. All of those are canon.

And I haven't even talked about their symbols (yin yang, fire water, sun moon), their parallels (blue spirit and painted lady, their childhood trauma, their closure), Omashu reincarnation, etc.

This is a big difference between Dramione and Zutara. In the show, Zutara has a lot of materials to be canon while Dramione has none at all.

[lovesickloverr]

genuinely can’t understand why people don’t see zutara / dramione as an interesting pairing?

i think the most compelling parts of ships to me is the ability for two people to be so different and yet share similar experiences / similarities.

like how zuko & katara are opposite elements (fire v water) but both “lost” their mothers young, how katara is so mothering and nurturing but doesn’t have to be for zuko, how they can both hate each other and still share similarities. even in personality both had passion & rage but toward different things. or looking at how they both took on a persona to help others (blue spirit & painted lady)

draco and hermione are something i could talk abt forever. draco and hermione are essentially polar opposites. draco was a pureblood death eater, hermione was a muggleborn on the light side. one was a slytherin & the other a gryffindor. yet both share a scar on their arms, both are known as being intelligent & clever. but because of their upbringing found them selves on opposite sides of the war.

it’s the yin-yang characteristics that really draw me to a ship, how they can be so different yet so similar. it doesn’t work for everyone, but sometimes opposites can complete each other. i think fanfictions are really what these ships depend on, & a lot of authors show the beauty in their similarities while still showing their differences. how even unfortunate circumstance can end with a good relationship. maybe it’s not particularly realistic, but im more of an optimist anyways.

[dramionestills]

Dramione month day 10: Idiots in love

She sighed a sigh so deep it was impossible to ignore. Ginny turned towards her and frowned at the sight.

Hermione, oblivious to the youngest Weasly’s glare, was absentmindedly stirring her tea with one hand while the other supported her head, elbow on the table quite unseemingly. She was staring into space with a most curious expression. A small smile on her lips which would turn in to a look of despair and then back into a smile.

Except she was not staring into space at all. She was staring directly at Draco Malfoy, who was seated at the Slytherin table talking to his friends.

Ginny knew that Hermione had started to fall for the former bad boy, what with so many joint activities as Head Students. The Head Girl vehemently denied these accusations but Ginny knew.

“You’re staring at him again, Mi. Not subtle at all.” She stabbed at her pork roast violently. She was not opposed to the match at all, but it had been beyond frustrating trying to get her friend to see reason and just do something about this crush. Especially since she knew for a fact that the Head Boy felt the same way. She had also caught him staring at the curly haired girl more times than she could count but also Blaise had told her so. It appeared Draco wasn’t in denial about his feelings any longer, but he was adamant that he was not good enough for the war heroine and convinced that she could not possibly reciprocate.

A pair of idiots. A pair of idiots in love. A pair of stubborn idiots in love made for each other, too alike in their self-sacrificing and self-punishing ways.

This had gone on for too long.

“Hey, Malfoy! Come over for a sec!” The red head yelled, causing the brunette at her side to straighten up and stare at her friend, her eyes so wide, her face paling, her heart throbbing. She was going to kill Ginny for this.

“Ginny, what the fuck?!” She hissed, “What are you doing?”

“Something has to be done about this, I am sick of your lovelorn stares and also you could really use a good fuc..”

“Hello, Weaslette. You called?”

“Yes, thank you for such a prompt response Malfoy. Let’s get down to business. Blaise told me you are in love with Hermione, is this correct?”

Draco’s already pale skin became paler if that were at all possible. “I guess you could say that I’ve developed some… amorous feelings for Granger, yes.”

“Perfect, because Hermione is also in love with you” A squeak of mortification from the girl in question left no room for doubt about the veracity of this statement.

Draco glanced at Hermione, hope blossoming in his eyes.

“Really?”

“Yeah, “ her reply was barely a whisper. “You?”

“Yeah.”

They both smiled. He extended his hand to her and asked her to walk around by the lake to talk some more.

As they were walking out through the main entrance, loud cheers erupted in the Great Hall and people were walking up to Ginny to pat her on the back and thank her for her great service to the community.

[em-sars]

My Top 10 (actually 9) Dramione Fic Reccemmendations:

I am not a terribly avid reader of angst-filled fics (sorry, Manacled fans). This list will be mostly romcom / fluffy, major slow burns, and Draco POV. I have included a few more serious fics, but they are just so well written / interesting, that they made my list. Without further ado, and in no particular order, my Top 9 Dramione Fics:

1. To one one's surprise, and not being overhyped at all (I'm completely serious), is Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. This one needs no description due to its popularity, so I will only add to the hype. I have always been a fan of adventure-romance (e.g. Romancing the Stone, Princess Bride, Stardust, Love and Monsters, Shrek, A Knight's Tale, and, not to get repetitive, The Lost City), but this was the first fanfiction I read with such dedication to an interesting, funny, and, at times, suspenseful story. I also love seeing Draco fall first and his unreliable narration in Hermione's feelings for him. I adore the characterization of / relationships between characters (not just Draco and Hermione) as well as the way the author develops the existing magic system. It is definitely a slow burn with misunderstandings. I'm not a big fan of misunderstandings after they are together because I think it's lasy, and I will stop reading it. In this fic, however, the author makes sure that the 'will they won't they' isn't over done.

2. A Cosmology of Blacks, Malfoys, and Assorted Individuals. This one is in process, but updates are consistent, and I am hooked. Draco POV only. Not only does this fic have the best name, it also includes many anecdotes of Black history (particularly focused on Narcissa, Andromeda, and Bellatrix) while also tying in a romance plot. The story begins with Andromeda confronting Narcissa, and the Black family to be reunited. Draco meets Hermione again for the first time post-graduation, but something is wrong with Hermione's magic. They slowly become friends and Draco develops feelings. This one is on the angsty side, but it's nothing dark or war-based. It is decidedly cosy. I absolutely love any fic that casts a parallel between Andromeda and Ted and Draco and Hermione (I also love supportive Harry who compares them to his parents).

3. The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy. This is another popular one that deserves the hype. This one was outside my comfort zone as it is fairly heavy on the angst. BUT I think it is a really imaginative retelling of DH. If you are unfamiliar, the author rewrites the end of HBP wherein Draco accepts Dumbledore's offer of help. He is then forced to accept the protection of people who hate him and whom he hates. This is a true Enemies to Friends to Lovers story. It has a mixed POV. This story is full of mystery, suspense, plot twists, romance, and angst. This is another one that explores the magic system in an interesting way.

4. It Happened in Egypt is another romcom adventure fic. It is funny, mysterious, and action-packed. In this story, Hermione is in Egypt on a 'holiday' and runs into Draco who is drunk and has been robbed (no wallet or wand). As the author says, this fic is a love story to the Nile and Egyptian Mythology. Great for history lovers. And while this story is a relatively quick burn, there is still a major chunk of mutual pining.

5. Scary Partner Privilege is another in progress piece, but it is so creative. It is Draco POV. He and Hermione (a no-nonsense-to-the-point-of-rudeness cop) are paired as elite aurors. Each chapter is a different case like in Brooklyn 99 or other cop shows with the overall plot of their tumble into romance. This Hermione is a complete BAMF, and Draco is a darling.

6. Distance is a split POV fic. Hermione is a new Unspeakable and Draco is an auror who hasn't been given a real case. They end up teaming up to investigate a mysterious magical figurine. Another adventure fic set in the Indus Valley. Such a fun concept. Another one that is a good read for history lovers.

7. Lavender Scones and Second Chances is the final in progress story I have on this list. This story is mostly here for vibes (cosy) because the research that brought them together is more periphery than anything. But it is still a sweet story that I am excited to watch develop.

8. Love and Other Historical Accidents is Jane Austen meets Harry Potter. Hermione and Draco get sent back to the late Georgian / early Regency period in magical Wiltshire. Lots of classic Austen tropes and plot lines. It is an established dynamic between them, and Draco is already in love with Hermione.

9. Soft As It Began is a unique story wherein Harry vanished the day after the Battle of Hogwarts. Almost 5 years later, Hermione, with help from Draco (they are investigative journalists), travels around Europe looking for him. This story plays with the story of The Three Brothers and the Deathly Hallows. I just love all the characterizations in this fic.

[seriouslysam8]

"Honestly, the one ship that I’m hardcore about in HP is Hinny."

OMG girl yes!! I have read a Hinny fic with Billadora as the side pairing. I even skim some Dramione and I like how they write Hinny having a healthy, happy relationship. NevillexPansy, Gay Theo or Dudley, BlaisexLuna, CharliexHermione, I don't mind, just give me more Hinny!!! X3

"He didn’t even miss her while fighting with her in POA. They sat in silence thinking about their Weasley in DH in the tent."

And in GoF, Harry thought having Hermione as his only best friend was boring and not much fun at all lol.

Disliking Hermione (and being vocal about it) is unusual in this fandom. It's quite refreshing and I'm so here for it lol. I too don't like how Mary Sue-ish she is in the movies (the movies are mostly Kloves' Harmione fanfic and I hate that) and how much that has trickled into fanfiction.

I just can’t with an other pairings for Hinny unless I know it’s a. Temporary, b. Hinny is endgame, c. They’re miserable with the other person until they get with each other.

Like Foolish by Tonksaholic is a good example of something I can read that doesn’t start out Hinny but ends Hinny.

I just don’t understand the Hermione hype. I really really don’t.

[takeariskao3]

december is @hprecfest month! each day has a theme and i'm going to try and do most of them! this will not be limited to one ship, but a compilation of my absolute favorite fics across all pairings.

day 1: the first fic you read/remember reading

the very first hp fic i read was on livejournal in 2003, and i don't have that good of a memory, so i'll go with the fic that got me back into hp in 2020.

Wait and Hope by @mightbewriting Draco/Hermione, Canon Divergent, Amnesia AU

i read this fic in a covid induced fever dream over a three day period in November 2020 and I was so captivated by the characters, the relationship dynamics, the MYSTERY. it was so clever, so joyful, so romantic, and so so devastating. it was a bit like crawling into a really warm, soft blanket of familiarity while at the same time giving us such a fresh perspective on a world we all know. One of my other favorite things was how well all the side characters were written, and how they weaved themselves in and out of the story in such effortless ways. ESPECIALLY HARRY/GINNY, which we all know is a soft spot for me. I was absolutely frothing at the mouth for more by the time I finished it, and I devoured everything by amanda after that.

this is a massively popular fic, so i imagine most draco/hermione fans have read it, but if anyone who doesn't normally read dramione wants to... dip their toe, this would be a great starting point.

[saintsenara]

As much as I love Dramione and that community. I stopped reading Dramione because of Ron’s characterization. Ron bashing is so normalized that it has become a Dramione convention and I’m not in for it. A lot of the faults that they give Ron are a lot of things that I can relate to (mediocre at school, procrastination, feeling like the lesser sibling) these are pretty standard Ron characteristics in Dramione. Usually the relationship with Draco start as a secret so Hermione is always alone in Dramione fanfics, her friendship with Harry and Ron is only a thing from the past that is occasionally mentioned. So a lot of Ron’s strong points are never there, I.e his loyalty, bravery, his defense of his friends, vast knowledge of the wizarding world. It is bothersome to see the way they portray students that do not excel in school, or have strong points that do not include academia.

Then also Astoria, she’s usually death or the crazy wife. Rose granger Weasley is non-existent while Scorpius Malfoy is a pretty common character, and Hugo… who is that ? The community doesn’t even mention him. I’m a bit disturbed by the way all of Hermione’s children in canon are just erased. Draco can be the dad, the widower, or the divorce but Hermione is the one that is single for a while, never married, haven’t had a proper shag, and ready to be the stepmother.

I always feel that they’re projecting their ex-boyfriends onto Ron, and Draco is the rich, intelligent, hot guy that they’d wished they upgraded for. In many stories Ron and Hermione break up because they always fight, but then they have Draco and Hermione quarrel just as much.

I would not be so bothered by it if I didn’t see all of this so much.

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

dramione certainly isn't my circus, but i find the same phenomenon occurring in my fandom spaces, since i'm someone with a preference for pairings which put harry with someone other than ginny - i've waded through so many fics in which ginny ends up getting turned into a complete bitch with no redeeming qualities and her relationship [both romantic and platonic] with harry is handwaved away in order to make her someone he never actually liked, who he only dated for a bit because he was forced to.

part of this is just standard slash subfandom misogyny when it comes to female characters, which we all need to get a grip on. but - as you say - it's also so prevalent in the fandom treatment of ron. and i find it really uninteresting!

i bang on a lot on here about how any ship is possible if an author has enough nerve - and how the reason for this is that love is fundamentally strange and unpredictable, and nobody can ever predict how it will strike.

but this comes with a flip side - that the strangeness of love means that its ability to last isn't always guaranteed. or - any ship can be disentangled interestingly and sincerely and [if that's an author's aim] canon-coherently with a bit of effort.

i think there are lots of really compelling things which could be done with the premise that ron and hermione don't get together or don't stay together - whether dramione ends up as the endgame or not - which don't need to reduce ron to the lazy, whinging boor he so often becomes.

and this includes thinking about divorce and co-parenting and blended-families in circumstances which aren't acrimonious. i think it's really striking that - as you say - there's an unease in fandom spaces with characters [above all female ones] having been married or had children in prior relationships. and there's also an unease about marriages which end for comparatively benign reasons - such as a couple simply not wanting to be in a romantic relationship with each other, but wishing to maintain a platonic one. divorces are always bitter - and the only time relationships break down without one partner becoming the bad guy, it's because someone [usually a woman] is dead.

this obviously isn't something fandom created, but it's still a wider cultural bleed-through into fandom which i find fundamentally boring.

and this is even though i very much understand the appeal of fairytale endings - draco malfoy as every disney prince rolled into one - as tropes. we all love a bit of self-insert fantasy, a bit of rom-com schmaltz, a bit of a knight in shining armour rescuing princess hermione from horrible ron.

but i think there's something valuable - and something no less fun, or moving, or compelling - about love stories which feel a bit less epic. second love, or friends-to-lovers-to-friends-again, or "there's no such thing as soulmates", or "this was fun while it lasted".

i genuinely think ron would be great as a divorced dad - not least because you know the single mams would be flocking to chat to him when it's his turn to bring the cake for playgroup - who remained best friends with hermione after they split.

and i think the dramione-specific comedy-of-errors of him and draco negotiating their new dynamic [mutual seething giving way to begrudging cordiality giving way to tentative respect] would properly bang as a premise.

[greenerteacups]

For me, personally, the canon ships of HP and canon ships of Avatar the Last Airbender (Sokka and Suki excluded) were the major (fandom related) disappointments of my youth 😂😭

I'm willing to bet a substantial amount of money that the Venn diagram of people who like Dramione and people who approve of Katara's canonical partner is a pair of circles located on opposite sides of the planet.