#drarry vignette
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For the trope mash-up post, may I request Fake Dating and Soulmate AU for Drarry please, if it sparks any fun inspiration?
(P.S. you're wonderful and I will love literally anything you come up with, even if it's not for these prompts, I just got super excited when you posted this 💜)
No, YOU'RE wonderful!!
So this is what came to me - and I can actually see the rest of the story but I have to go adult for a bit, but I am going to come back later and write some more of this! (As per usual, this is pretty much SOOC and unbeta'd, etc etc.)
Draco’s known since the Final Battle.
He’s pretty sure Potter has no idea, whether it’s that no one’s remembered to tell him about soulmates, or that his mark hasn’t activated yet, but he treats Draco exactly the way he’s treated him since they'd all arrived at University. He’s unfailingly polite, cool and distanced, and deeply disinterested in one Draco Malfoy.
Which isn’t, you know, how you’re supposed to treat your soulmate.
The thumbprint on Draco’s wrist had flared to life when Potter had grabbed his arm to haul him onto the back of the battered broom that carried them both out of the fire. He’d almost fallen off at the way Potter’s magic had rushed over him, through him. Draco had always heard the stories that connecting with your soulmate could be disorienting, but since it happened to him in the midst of mortal terror, Draco’s not sure his experience was typical.
It’s also very rare that one person connects and the other doesn’t, although it does happen. It takes time for the bond to solidify, to grow into a true soulmate connection, and obviously, that’s not happened here. Basically, Potter is a faint echo in Draco’s mind, enough to distract and ache a little, nothing more than that.
All this to say, it’s weird when Potter comes dashing into their suite common room one Saturday afternoon, looking wild-eyed and somewhat disheveled. It’s a rainy day, raw and windy, the kind of day where Draco does not plan to leave the building if he can help it. Potter is damp and windblown, so he clearly had other ideas. Fucking weirdo.
Potter looks around wildly, and lights up when he spots Draco curled up on the couch under his favorite striped blanket.
“Malfoy,” he says eagerly, and Draco blinks up at him in surprise.
Potter’s never sounded happy to see Draco before.
“Yes?” Draco says cautiously. “Can I help you?”
Potter nods vigorously. “You can, yes, absolutely. I need you to pretend to be my soulmate and go to the gala with me tonight.”
“I beg your pardon?” Draco asks, trying to make sense of the words he’s just heard. “You need me to what?”
Potter hangs his coat on the rack by the door, kicks off his grubby trainers and makes his way around the couch to plop down next to Draco.
“I need you to pretend to be my soulmate and go to the gala with me tonight.”
“That’s what I thought you said,” Draco says. “But also, what the fuck are you talking about?”
Potter sighs, lets his head rest on the back of the couch and runs a hand through his unruly hair.
“You know how the press…” his voice trails off and he flushes.
“Follows you around incessantly and makes your life a living hell?” Draco says dryly. “Yes, Potter, I’m aware.”
“Well, someone thought it was a good idea to advertise that I haven’t found my soulmate, and to suggest that anyone who’s unbonded should come to the gala tonight and you know. Shoot their shot or whatever.”
Draco sits bolt upright, outraged. “What the hell? That’s bullshit. That’s not even how it works!”
Potter just sighs again and slumps down even further, eyes closed. “Yeah, I know that, but it’s turned into this whole thing, and every girl in the greater Oxford area, apparently, is now coming to the gala.”
“Can’t you just… not go?”
Potter shakes his head, looking miserable. “No. The Fund is really important to me. I promised to speak.”
“So your solution is to fake a soulmate bond with a man?” Draco asks and Potter snorts.
“Okay, well, when you put it like that, it does sound stupid. I just thought if I could get them all off my back for a bit… No, you’re right. I’ll just have to get a bodyguard again, I guess.”
He sounds so utterly miserable that Draco can’t help but feel sorry for him, which is why he finds himself saying, “Yeah, I’ll do it.”
Potter opens his eyes to stare at Draco. “What?”
Draco shrugs. “I’m not doing anything tonight, there’ll be wine at the gala, yeah?”
Potter looks excited but then his face falls. “But what about your soulmate? What if they’re out there looking for you?”
Draco looks away and swallows. “That won’t be a problem.”
Potter’s eyes narrow. “Why not?” He sucks in a breath and whispers, “Malfoy, do you know who your soulmate is?”
Draco just nods and there’s a long silence while Potter clearly puts some picture together in his head. He’s never been stupid, Draco concedes. Since for all intents and purposes, Draco is unbonded, Potter must know there’s something wrong with all of it.
Finally Potter says, “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” Draco says and finally turns to look at Potter. “It’ll be fun,” he says carelessly. “What should I wear?”
#my writing#trope mashup#Drarry vignette#fic beginning#I ask that you check in with me before finishing any of my vignettes#THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING
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DUDE DUDE DUDE DUDE OMG
"Can you stop saying "die"?!" Harry said exasperatedly.
Laughed out loud but then,
"You love it already, Potter," he said loftily. "You love everything you save."
Wow you really did that huh. You really just chose to punch me RIGHT in my feelings???
In all seriousness, this is spectacular and I adore it1
Saviour and His Saved
It had been thirteen months and three weeks since Harry had found, and saved, Malfoy from a dark, icy corner in the crooked streets of Knockturn Alley.
For thirteen months, Malfoy had not stepped foot outside of Harry's cottage. He'd spent his time sleeping, ignoring Harry, reading his way through Harry's modest book-collection, making sullen conversation with Harry, and teaching himself to cook.
It hadn't been a bad thirteen months, Harry thought. He ate a lot better now. Malfoy too. The sour, skinny git had actually turned out to be a pretty good cook and baker.
Harry couldn't complain about his life. He left that to Ron, who still bemoaned the fact that Harry had brought home a stray Malfoy and kept him and even occasionally bought him a new book or a new jumper. Harry didn't mind. It was more than worth it to see Malfoy's thin, dull face brighten.
After months, Malfoy had begun going out on walks by himself every evening. The first time he'd gone, it was after yet another shouting match with Harry and to Harry's utter shock he'd stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind himself.
He'd been sure Malfoy wouldn't return and had spent the whole evening with his stomach churning with something awful, thinking about going back to a life without that grumpy fuck.
But then, just as the sun had set, Malfoy scurried in through the small, arched front gate, his cloak held closed around himself.
Harry planted himself before the front door, fists clenched, and prepared to yell some more, this time about Malfoy just leaving him. Then, Malfoy burst in, looking around wildly, and had proceeded to produce a baby bunny from under his cloak.
"What," said Harry.
"We have to save it!" Malfoy shouted, as if he was about to sacrifice his own life or something.
They bathed and fed it. Harry firecalled Hermione to ask her about raising baby bunnies. Malfoy named it Buttercup. That was three weeks ago.
Harry now sat with Buttercup the bunny on a bundled up blanket next to him on the sofa, a mournful, old, and partially deaf bloodhound that Malfoy had met on his way back from the shops and brought home sitting by his feet, and a cat with one eye missing curled up on a cushion on the windowsill. The bloodhound, Malfoy had named Wilson, and Harry had the uncomfortable, nagging suspicion that Malfoy had actually stolen some careless sod's old dog with the firm belief that it was an underfed stray. The one-eyed cat, Malfoy had permitted Harry to name, and had immediately regretted it when Harry had named him Mad-Eye.
Harry now saw Malfoy appear at the gate and pass through it inside, his gait as hurried as ever, as if permanently late to be somewhere. Then Malfoy let himself in, saw Harry sitting and staring at him from the sofa, and turned away towards the stairs, his cloak bundled around himself.
"Where are you going?" asked Harry at once.
Malfoy scowled. "To take a piss. Merlin."
"What's that?" Harry asked suspiciously, getting to his feet.
"What's what?!" Malfoy snapped, still not fully emerging from under his cloak.
"What do you have there?" Harry pressed, walking up to him and plucking at his cloak.
Malfoy took a step back, his cheeks pink. "Nothing. What do you mean?!"
"What's under there this time, Malfoy?" Harry asked wearily. "Not another rabbit. The dog keeps trying to eat the first one."
"Wilson's not going to eat Buttercup, don't be an idiot," Malfoy said, impatient and rude as ever.
"What do you have?" Harry said loudly, tugging at Malfoy's cloak more forcefully.
Malfoy opened his mouth to protest, jerking farther away from Harry, when there was a tiny, very shrill mew.
Malfoy froze, eyes huge in his face. Harry's mouth fell open and he tugged, yet again, at Malfoy's cloak.
It fell away to reveal an extremely small, very dirty white kitten held carefully in Malfoy's bony hands. It was shivering uncontrollably, and continuously emitted small, pitiful meeps.
"You want me to leave it outside to die?!" Malfoy burst out before Harry could even say anything. "You want it to die?!"
"No, but--"
"Well, you make me take it away and it's going to die, Potter."
"Malfoy, I'm not--"
"It needs a home, and your stupid house is so big, and we can save it before it dies."
"Can you stop saying "die"?!" Harry said exasperatedly.
"If you make me take it back, I'm going with it," Malfoy said, jutting his pointy chin out at Harry.
That made Harry grin - because Malfoy was threatening to leave with the sort of confidence that one has when they know they would never be allowed to go.
And that made Harry's tummy flutter happily for some reason.
"Well, in that case, I'd better let you keep it," he said solemnly. "What would I do without you, Malfoy?"
Malfoy's face, already tinged pink, now turned scarlet. Shoulders rounding inwards a bit, Malfoy looked down at the raggedy kitten before sticking his nose up in the air.
"You love it already, Potter," he said loftily. "You love everything you save."
Then, as he processed what he'd just said, Malfoy's face turned so hot that he looked faint for a second.
Then he hurried away into the kitchen, cloak billowing behind him, calling out over his shoulder,
"Clean towels and tic medicine, if you please, Potter."
Grinning, Harry went upstairs obediently. He had a kitten to save and a whole lot more to love.
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2024 fic wrap-up
This year my limited fic output vacillated between Horny and Literary™.
I posted six fics according to AO3, but I'd written two of those years before (one had been on tumblr for ages, the other I'd posted and then deleted). I don't count those as new writing, so that means 4 new ficlets, all drarry.
The horny ones:
The Bet (~2k, drarry, E) Quidditch managers who fuck based on a wager.
The three bears (3.2k, draco/others, drarry, E) Draco as Goldilocks, getting fucked by 3 bears (you can guess which one's cock is "just right").
The literary/experimental ones:
you to love me (4.4k, drarry, E) A Dead Dove non/con fic based on prompts from my ol' Summer Writin' Challenge of 2021 (gods, I'm still working on WIPs from that one). This one features Reverse Chronology, a structure I'd longed to explore and one which makes this story more interesting than it would've been otherwise, in my opinion. It starts with a sweet vignette (with an ominous undercurrent) and, as the story progresses and we go back in time, we see the full horror of that particular Voldemort Wins AU, how fucked up things are, and how unhinged Draco is.
Footnotes on Gladys Glamorgan’s article “Are They Alive? Six Years since the Disappearance of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy” (400 words, drarry, G) A ficlet written as footnotes. I worked for months on this one. It was a wonderful, stimulating challenge and I loved having a craft problem to solve. I think this ficlet will appeal more to writers than readers tbh.
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day 4 of @hprecfest — a comfort fic
the arrangement by rurounihime (E, 65.7k)
It's worked for years. Why change it now?
harry & draco were in a relationship; it fell apart. now, they have an arrangement. except— they both want more, so they give it another shot. it goes differently, this time.
i love the established relationship trope, how it makes getting together the premise of the narrative rather than its climax, dissects a dynamic from within its operations, makes a meal out of every domestic and dessert out of waking up in the morning. this fic is the ER bible, the fucking manifesto of writing messy, complicated characters in magnetic orbit pulling and pushing at each other's seams while sharing space, days and nights, and the certainty of love.
more than comfort fics, i have comfort scenes— specific moments i return to for suspension in familiarity. i've returned to this one, entirely told in interconnected vignettes, over and over for that suspension, sometimes reading it through, sometimes jumping chapters (6, 9, 10, 11 are repeat offenders). i know its beats by now like my tongue knows the ridges of my teeth, a well-worn path of emotion and sensation, but after all these years, it remains refuge and challenge, always fulfilling, often new.
arrangement is populated by the evidence of harry and draco being voraciously sexual beings outside of each other— inconvenient STDs, meddling exes, shared past lovers, lust that doesn't magically disappear in the light of monogamous commitment. the dynamic in this fic doesn't work "through" this lust, reading it as a problem, but with it— finding opportunities for desire while never compromising the interiority of the world between the characters. this fic's refusal to discipline want is one of its most comforting & liberating qualities, in my opinion. stellar stuff.
this is a drarry ER classic, i'm fairly sure i first found it on capitu's LJ recs & consistently on various other reclists since. if you've read it before, i'm hoping this tugs on you to reread. if you haven't— firstly, i'm terribly envious, what a revelation to read this in its entirety for the first time, and secondly, go, go, go now, read it in snapshots and starbursts, or in one lung-filled plunge, but take a chance, and if you love it— let me know!
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(okay first off Tumblr, why the hell didn't you TELL ME ABOUT THIS??)
Holy. Crap. Like.
This is just stunning (I mean, you know I love your writing so...) - but I really love the frame of Harry's anger and trauma - I feel like I don't see as much of it like this, and it resonates hard for me. It feels spot-on.
Something about this line just hit me fucking SQUARE in the chest:
Malfoy shakes his head slightly, his mouth twisted in a grimace. “I’m going to do what I always do." He shoves Harry back. "I’m going to show you who you are.”
Just gorgeous. Absolutely.
Tinder (Drarry)
Relationships: Drarry Word Count: ~650 Eighth year, post-war, a little dark with a happy ending. For the prompt: Drarry, snarky banter resulting in a kiss to shut them up Thank you so much @phdmama, that was just what I needed. For anyone else, I'm open (ie, begging) for drabble prompts this weekend, I'm in need of distraction. :)
Harry comes back wrong.
It’s normal to feel this way, his Mindhealer tells him. It’s normal to be on edge. To be furious and terrified and endlessly waiting for the next disaster.
Every single person he sees—in the Great Hall or the eighth year Common Room—drives him mad. They watch him too closely or completely ignore him or treat him like he’s a god or like he’ll explode. And most nights, he does explode, in the end. That, or heads to bed early and puts up Silencing Charms to pretend he’s alone.
And so much of the time, he feels alone. Horribly, horribly alone. And he knows it’s his own fault, but he can’t see a way through.
Malfoy, of all people, is the one who finds him.
He's different, now, and he’s none of the things that annoy Harry most. He’s not tentative and he’s not afraid. He doesn’t pretend Harry’s an epic hero.
After one more outburst in the Common Room, Harry runs into him on the way to the dorms.
“I see you’re at it again, Potter,” he says dryly. “Well done. Anyone crying, this time? Thanks Merlin they didn’t divide us by house again, you’d give those first years their own personal war trauma. Honestly.”
Harry goes stiff. “I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for any of it.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think they especially asked for it, either. Salazar on a stick, Potter, I don’t know what you’re spoiling for, but you’re going to get the hefty butt of a broom to the back of the head if you keep it up.”
Harry steps forward, dumbfounded and strangely thrilled. “Is that a threat? Are you actually threatening me?”
Malfoy laughs. “Threatening you? With a broomstick?” He leans in, close enough that Harry feels his breath on his face. “If I was threatening you, you’d know it,” he hisses.
Harry grabs the front of his perfectly pressed shirt and pushes, and follows until Malfoy is pinned to the wall and Harry’s close enough to see every fleck of blue in his eyes. “So what are you gonna do, then? How are you going to stop me, if you’re so worried?” How are you going to stop me if I can't stop myself?
Malfoy shakes his head slightly, his mouth twisted in a grimace. “I’m going to do what I always do." He shoves Harry back. "I’m going to show you who you are.”
Something sparks inside Harry when Malfoy shoves him again.
Malfoy nods. “There you are.” Shove. “Go on. Hit me. I know you want to. Come on, do it. You know I deserve it.”
Harry has no idea what Malfoy deserves. He hits him anyway, right in the mouth, and Malfoy stumbles back. He bounces up with fire in his eye, and, Merlin, Harry feels alive again.
Malfoy spits blood. “That’s it, then? Bloodletting? Let’s do this.” He charges for Harry, aiming low, and Harry crouches to meet him, spins him again and shoves him against the opposite wall.
Breathing hard against Malfoy’s mouth, Harry’s the most vital he’s been since he came back from King’s Cross. He raises one hand and presses a thumb to Malfoy’s swelling lip.
Malfoy makes a soft, high sound, like some tiny animal lost in a hedge, and something happens. Something huge in Harry breaks open, and he thinks he might cry. He might cry and he might never stop.
And then, somehow, Malfoy’s lips are on his, insistent and more real to him than Harry’s own body.
He kisses back like he's drowning. He opens his mouth and sucks the blood from Malfoy’s lip, and the moan that follows. He pushes forward and slides his hands up Malfoy’s back, and he holds on for dear life; Malfoy does the same, as if he was lost, too, and is just now finding his way.
“Merlin above,” Harry murmurs, “what was that?”
“No idea,” Malfoy says wetly against his mouth. “Harry. Again.”
What can Harry do when Malfoy uses his name like that? “Yes,” he says, and he kisses Malfoy—Draco—again, and then again. He loses himself, and finds himself, and loses himself again.
It doesn’t matter, Harry realises as Draco kisses hungrily along his jaw. Draco will find him. Draco knows who he is.
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HP Rec Fest 2024
day 22: a series
I haven’t read many series in recent years (mainly because I can’t commit the necessary amount of time) so I’ll give a shoutout to an old favourite of mine and imo a fandom classic, RurouniHime’s The Arrangement (72k).
this is a gorgeous and fascinating look into Harry and Draco’s new life as they navigate the joys and pains of a long-term relationship. it’s a bit rare to find long fics focused on est relationships, and I never get as invested when there’s no slow burn drama, but the fact that I was immediately hooked on this made me realize right away that this story was something special. I love the mature tone and how they embrace the intimacy and vulnerability that come with such a big step, it feels so real and relatable. it’s incredible to watch them grow as a couple and individually, communicating to face their issues, coming out with a stronger and healthier bond.
I also love the format chosen here, telling their story through intertwined slice-of-life vignettes - there’s a mix of tenderness and fun banter with moments of sad and quiet introspection, and a side of comfort smut with strong emphasis on consent and sex-positive discussions which was so very appreciated. this is one of those fics that will reinforce your love for Drarry and your faith in the ship; a really satisfying emotional journey full of intimacy, trust and understanding. a wonderful treat to indulge this season so go read it now!
for @hprecfest
#hp rec fest 2024#day 22#no banner cause I’ve been using last year’s and apparently I skipped day 22 🤡
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I know I always say this, but it’s always true - I am so excited for this month’s guest reccer! To say that Grace, who writes as @mintawasalreadytaken, has excellent taste would be an understatement - she is a tastemaker. I realized as I was looking through a server that we’re both in that I read Coyote Ugly (which I recced a few weeks ago) based on her recommendation first! She’s also an accomplished writer herself, so if you like her rec, be sure to check out her works.
I leave the format of the rec up to the guest reccer - sometimes people use emojis, sometimes they give the rec as bullet points, and sometimes people prefer to write paragraphs. Grace asked if we could have a conversation about this fic together, and I eagerly agreed! I’ll be TDL below, and she’ll be Grace. Just as a heads up, there are minor spoilers for the fic below the cut.
Without further ado, I present the May Happy Hour Recommendation - in conversation with @mintawasalreadytaken!
I Do Not Love You by @writandromance (228,290 words, Rated M)
In 2013, a carefully-designed Obliviation leaves Harry reconfiguring his life and identity without any memories of true love; an act that's essentially erased Draco Malfoy from his mind despite a wedding band and shared home.
In 2000, Draco had expected Pansy's relationship with Luna to bring the Gryffindors a bit closer to his orbit of quiet, carefully pacifistic existence, but he never expected to navigate such a transparent embrace into a unit of family, friendship, and love.
A mystery, two love stories, and a reminder that learning to love never has an end date.
TDL: You picked I Do Not Love You for this month's rec. Would you start by telling people who have never read it why they should give it a try?
Grace: I think I speak for a lot of us in the world of fanfiction, specifically Drarry fanfic, that we're not generally known for being chill about our obsessions. So, as someone who's read a lot of hurt/comfort and angst, I Do Not Love You stands out to me because it does a number of interesting things with its key trope, amnesia. It's a love story told backwards, and a love story that's as much about hate and how hate destroys as it is about love and how love builds.
TDL: I appreciate that you brought up the love story told backwards - I think that's one of the best parts of this story. The way, especially at the beginning, that the two plot-lines contrast makes it stand out to the reader about what Harry's lost, even when Harry himself doesn't realize.
Grace: Mmhmm, agreed. We start very firmly rooted in Harry's POV, with an eventual back and forth POVs between Harry and Draco, at opposite ends of the timeline of their relationship. So there's this wonderful tension there, right from go.
TDL: I think that's something very smart and enjoyable about Writ's writing. She's very good at creating that tension and then trusting the reader with it. She’s excellent at showing one perspective, and letting the reader infer the other perspective. It would've been easy to write from Draco's POV and get all of his angsty heartbreak firsthand, but instead she writes it from Harry's POV and we get his anger and are left to come to our own conclusions about Draco's hurt. It makes the conclusions more powerful to the reader.
Grace: Trusting the reader is certainly one of her strengths. Part of my deep enjoyment of this fic is how it begs to be re-read. It's only on the re-read that certain details, "tells" in Draco's behaviour, for example, become clear indicators of what will happen. But you need to learn them from Harry's POV first. It makes for a very fun circular read, in that way. Another way that trust is established masterfully is the contrast between Harry's anger in the present and the vignettes of his empathetic, whole-hearted earnestness in the flashback scenes. The distance between the two Harry's emotional states is enough for the reader to draw their own conclusions of how much it must pain Draco to go through this experience.
Though I will say, the angsty heartbreak moment we do get to see firsthand gets me every time. It's the most delicious stab in the heart!
TDL: I know it’s a spoiler, but will you be specific? What part exactly are you thinking of?
Grace: “I lost my husband.”
TDL: I put that quote down in my notes too - and "I didn't even get to say goodbye."
Grace: It gets to the heart of the worst part of a beautiful relationship: the fear of loss.
TDL: So we've done our favorite angsty moments. This fic, while angsty, is also really full of fun and funny moments. Does anything stick out to you along those lines?
Grace: Two stick out to me immediately. One is a callback to the Pablo Neruda quote off the top, from which the fic takes its title. "Your hand on my chest is my hand,” only Harry adds his own sexy twist to it, lol. The second is this incredibly tense moment mid-fight where Harry snaps about how long it would take to fall back in love with Draco and Draco's deadpan response of "You said 'when'" which is peak Drarry to me. That stubbornness in the face of literally anything, even the other avowing their supposed hatred.
What's your favourite funny moment?
TDL: Oh it’s got to be when we find out later that Pansy laughed at the toothbrush incident. It's just such a best friend thing to do. It felt like something I'd do to my sister or that she'd do to me and I think it added a realness to their friendship. They’re ride or die for each other, but they also laugh at each other, even in the hard times. I also love any scene Jules is in!
Grace: Agreed! The toothbrush moment was hilarious. And Jules is one of my favourite of Harry's familiars/pets-with-speaking-roles, ever.
TDL: I'm obsessed with the idea of a chameleon speaking Parseltongue! I also feel like Jules' character had a lot of thought put into it - what would be important to a chameleon? What would a chameleon notice and think in this situation?
Grace: Yes, his take on death and his sense of humour about it – that bonds Harry to him. The lens of his understanding of the relationship between Harry and his "ice queen" and the purpose of molting. It was all so well done. The fact that Jules can infer Harry's emotional state and then decides on whether and to what degree to argue about what kind of feed he requests is so spot on. Amazing characterization work.
TDL: With all of Harry and Draco’s friends and family, this fic had an ensemble of characters. Were there any other favorites?
Grace: My two favourites live on opposite sides of the spectrum. Ron, for his stoic, constant style of quiet and level-headed support. And Blaise, a true wild-card, who is ruled enough by ego to do things that endanger his relationships with both Harry and Draco, just never too much. They love him for it, even though he can be a chaos monster.
TDL: Blaise was on my list too! I thought his shenanigans brought a lot to the fic and I thought it was cool to see him portrayed as an equally important friend to both Harry and Draco that Harry saw him as someone to turn to for help, not just “Draco’s friend” but “my friend.”
Grace: The melding of friend groups, as most often happens when you're in a long term relationship, was done masterfully here. and the lines drawn in the sand becoming murky in places and crystal clear in others when a break-up looms, too.
TDL: Which brings us back to that relatable fear of loss - this loss is not just one person but friendships, community, a life and a future.
Something else that I want to mention is how immersive this fic is, even in a re-read. I knew what was coming and was still hooked.
Grace: True! It begins with a focus on interiority. We get the emotional punches first, and then the plot to underpin it. But in my view, the plot comes second to the feelings. It's a fic that invites you as the reader to put yourself into Draco's shoes. We all experience loss and so when we get thrown into this situation of experiencing what, for both of them, they consider a world-ending loss, we relate. The troubles only begin there, because after that there's still waking up every day and trying, again and again.
TDL: For a fic whose title refuses love, what better description is there for love than waking up every day and trying, again and again.
Is there anything else you’d like to add before we end this rec?
Grace: Just to say thank you for entertaining this, and for your thoughtful questions! And to thank Writ for writing this masterpiece of a painful, quietly beautiful love story. And to end on a quote – one of the ones I come back to constantly, as a reminder to self of the usefulness in trying at the things we find the most difficult:
"Aw, don't get smart to wash off all the vulnerability, you wore it so well," he replied, eyes sparkling. As he backed towards the doorway, his arms opened wide. "Bask in the beauty of a difficult, emotional conversation."
xoxo minta / grace
❤️ As always, if you enjoy this rec, please bookmark abd leave the author a kudos or a comment! ❤️
Lots of Love and Happy Friday!
PS - If you're interested in knowing what Grace and I are reading next, @writandromance just started posting a new Pride and Prejudice based fic. It's not complete, but chapter one went up today and we are so excited!
#mintawasalreadytaken#writandromance#Friday happy hour#guest rec#friends of the library#Friday fic rec#Happy hour fic rec#happy hour with friends#lots of love and Happy friday
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Do you write any fanfiction? Or do you only write character analysis on this blog? I find your blog posts rather compelling and would love to read something that you’ve written for drarry ♡
What a lovely ask to receive! Thank you so much!! I've never published any fic (unless you count this lol). I am working on an epistolary drarry letter writing fic, a darry 8th year long fic, a canon compliant series of Tom Riddle vignettes filling in some of the gaps in his backstory, and a drarry postwar plotty fic, which I may publish if I'm brave enough.
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Sorry if you've been asked this before, but where do you take inspiration for your stories and writing style? I have re-read every single one of your works on ao3, and i cant help but love the way you portray the characters, and how well you pace all the stories. It is detailed yet very simple and i absolutley adore it! So i was wondering weather you take inspiration from other authors, ffs, or does it just kinda spawn in your head?
Sidenote: you made me fall into the taco rarepair hole and i am forever grateful. You are amazing and your writing is so good i simply cant get enough of it <33333
Thank you so much!
Regarding writing style, I read too much Enid Blyton as a kid, so that bleeds through sometimes. C.S. Pacat is writing goals to me, so I aspire to her succinct, impactful sentences. I'm also easily influenced by whatever I'm reading at a particular moment, so if my characters begin spiralling into long paranoid rambles, you'll know I got myself into another Dostoevsky novel.
On story inspiration, I've always been a big daydreamer, so that's part of it. When I was a teenager, I used to like to watch the TV while it was turned off and just daydream aggressively till I could see the characters in my head on the screen lol.
I'm also a massive hater, so when I read something I disagree with, it inspires me to write. I think having something to say creates the best fiction. Writing for such a rarepair is also interesting because I can integrate ideas from Draco fics I've read and Tom fics I've read and create something new. Take the classic Drarry cliché of Harry giving Draco back his wand. It turns dark and twisted when, as in Blood, Voldemort is the one to return the wand (thus Harry is dead and Voldemort knows Draco lost or gave his wand to him).
Generally, I think in scenes rather than larger plot beats, so my fics tend to have more of an episodic/vignette-y vibe. I don't really do anything in particular to come up with those scenes, I just think about the fic throughout the day and when new scenes/dialogue occurs to me, I write them down. For example, with The Travelling Cabinet, I just had 1 scene in my head, which was Draco falling out of the vanishing cabinet while Tom is trying to close up shop. Then I just went and wrote the fic lol. Here's the original 'plan':
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hi! 1: y’all are doin the good work 💜 2: ok i’m lookin for a fic SERIES. i’m almost positive this is a series of shorter fics none of them >15,000 words - if it’s one fic it’s only a couple chapters that kind of act like vignettes. drarry is the central pairing but is happening within the context of harry/ron/hermione having used to have been in a loose long term throuple. it’s post-war and ends with the 4 of them on a beach at night smoking weed and it’s beautiful lol thank you!!!!!!
We believe you are looking for Headway series by orphan_account (30k, E)
Don’t forget to bookmark, leave kudos and comments!
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You're the Winner
Heard this song the other day and had this little scene spring full-fledged to my mind, so I just had to write it.
Drarry (mostly implied), ~800 words, Teen. Pain with a hopeful ending. Post-redemption Draco (undiscussed). Draco and his father. (Unbeta'd and mostly SOOC so please be kind!)
'Cause now there's no one Who ever has done better At making me feel worse Now you really are the winner
“You know,” his father says, pulling one glove off, his hands graceful in their economy of movement. “You’ve always been something of a disappointment, Draco.”
His tone is mild, almost disinterested, as if he’s simply stating a fact. The sky is blue. Water is wet. Draco Malfoy has always been something of a disappointment.
“But,” his father continues, “this really does take the biscuit.”
Draco swallows. Opens his mouth, shuts it again. There’s nothing more to be said.
His father shakes his head, pulls the other glove off, lays the pair neatly on the arm of the sofa.
“This cannot continue.”
Draco presses his lips together to keep himself from babbling. You can’t tell me to stop, this is the only thing that has ever made me feel alive. I love him. I love you. Why can’t you love me back? He loves me back.
His father claps his hands together, once. Sharp. Decisive. “You can owl him in the morning. It would be rude to simply disappear. Now please, go upstairs and get dressed for dinner.” He eyes Draco’s muggle clothes, ripped jeans and trainers, a moue of distaste on his face. “Don’t let your mother see you dressed like that.”
He turns away, utterly dismissive. Confident his directive will be obeyed.
Draco clenches his fists, squares his shoulders, and steps off the cliff.
“No.”
His father turns in surprise, lifts one eyebrow in a supercilious look of disdain identical to the one Draco knows he’s worn far too often.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said.” Draco takes a deep breath. “No. I will not get dressed for dinner. I will not stop seeing him. I will not stop loving him. You ask too much.”
“Draco.” His father’s voice is stern, reminiscent of a thousand similar scenes over the years. “I will not allow this.”
“I don’t think you can stop me,” Draco says.
His voice is shaking. His knees are shaking. But he’s still standing. It’s time to go.
“I’m leaving. I’m sorry if you cannot accept this, but I love him.”
His father lets out a bark of laughter that almost sounds unrehearsed.
“You love him,” he says, his voice dripping with scorn. “Well, by all means then. Destroy your life. Destroy this family’s reputation, the one I’ve worked so hard to redeem, the one that got you into that fancy university rather than Azkaban. Break your mother’s heart. Because you love him.” He shakes his head, makes a pfft of disapproval. “Love.”
Draco turns his back, walks away. 17 steps to the entry hall, where he’s stashed the things he cannot bear to leave behind. Another 19 steps to the doorway out.
“Draco,” his father barks and Draco pauses, his hand on the knob and turns back. “If you do this, if you walk out that door, you will not be welcome back.”
Draco nods. “That’s more or less what I expected.”
“Then why are you doing this?” His father’s voice is quiet, and perhaps its the first authentic thing he’s said today.
“Because I have to,” Draco replies. “Because having him, having a life with him is worth more than losing you.”
Something flashes across his father’s face, too brief to be identifiable, and then his father’s lips tighten and he lifts his chin.
“So be it,” he says, and flicks his fingers towards Draco.
Draco flinches at the rush of magic through him and the emerald in the crest of the ring on his hand shatters, the sound of it ringing in Draco’s ears as he and Lucius stare at each other for one last time.
Then Draco walks out the door, leaving his name behind him.
Later, in the dark hours before dawn, Draco lies in bed, curled on his side with his face to the wall. He cries, silent, forcing his body still so his sobs don’t wake the man next to him who is, Draco prays, sound asleep.
Except he stirs, rolls over, the weight of his body a comfort as he drapes himself over Draco, slides his hand down Draco’s arm to thread their fingers together.
“Hey,” he murmurs, his voice sleep rough, “it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
“But how,” Draco pauses, tries to catch his breath. “How do you know?”
He feels Potter’s shrug, focuses on the way Potter’s thumb gently rubs the back of his hand.
“I just do, I guess. I’m not sure I know how you feel, but I do know you’ve survived worse. I know your heart is broken, baby, but at least you’re free.”
Draco scrubs a hand over his damp face.
“I don’t know who I am,” he confesses softly. “Without my name. Without my family. I just don’t know.”
“That’s okay,” Potter says sleepily, and snuggles in impossibly closer. “I do. I know who you are."
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"Are you freaking out yet" intrigues me 👀
That is the nonsense spillover from Drarry Forever 😆 Making little socmed bits and vignettes around that seems like what my brain wants to do for a minute! The doc title is the first line:
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I participated in my first fic fest AND I wrote something other than Wolfstar! Each piece is inspired by lyrics from a Noah Kahan song. Thank you to everyone who made my first fest experience so wonderful!
My Drarry fic is post-battle of Hogwarts. Harry shows up on Draco’s door one day without explanation. Draco hasn’t left his home in over two years, and Harry comes to find out why
My Jegulus fic shows vignettes of Regulus’s life from childhood to the age of 17. (It stops before the cave, so technically it’s not MCD.) 😂
Siriusly Noah Fest
Ready for some autumnal heartbreak?
Find the full collection of works here.
Many ships, characters, eras.... and a few too many MCD tags for my liking but ALAS!
The writers, artists and editors who took part are so talented I can't get over it. I've already cried a few times and I haven't even made it through them all yet.
Anyway! Enjoy! And thank you so much to everyone who took part! <3 You're all phenomenal.
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halfway through 2024 book review
June isn't over yet but I'm looking at a couple of very busy weeks so it's unlikely I'll read a gazillion new books or something by end of month. So we do this now!
books I enjoyed so far
Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen series, set in a post-apocalyptic Paris with fallen angels and magic and dragons in the Seine. I didn't quite love the three main novels, but I enjoyed how unique the world-building was. However, I REALLY loved the last two novellas about Asmodeus and his husband Thuan, who are a delicious pairing. The novellas are: Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances and Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders.
Pacat's Dark Heir, which I enjoyed so much that I went back to reread Dark Rise and then again, Dark Heir. I liked the second novel a lot more than the first (and I actually ended up appreciating the first novel more on my reread). Needless to say, I am very, very impatient about the end of the series.
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel. KJC has done it again. The sequel to her Doomsday Books series is fantastic, with a vivid cast, an excellent main pairing, and superb pacing. Couldn't put it down. A great historical m/m romance.
The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'd heard a lot about Miles and it was fun seeing him bullshit his way across the galaxy.
The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold. A novella in the Vorkosigan saga. Very touching and emotional and a great character study of Miles. Really loved this.
Newcomer by Keigo Higashino. This dude is seriously amazing at crafting unusual murder mysteries. This one is structured as vignettes of shop-owners in a Tokyo neighbourhood and, as the stories progress, more light is shed on the mystery of a strangled woman.
Faithful Place and The Secret Place by Tana French. Fantastic prose, absorbing murder mysteries that are more like deep character studies as well as an incisive portrait of contemporary Ireland.
The Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski. This is pretty grim at times, ngl, but it has a daring structure with lots of POVs, switching between numerous timelines, a frame device, lots of found materials (essays and chapters from fictional books). All that worked for me very well. I love some experimentation with craft. I wouldn't say it was my fave read, but I'm happy that I finally reached the end; completing a series always gives me a dopamine rush so yay
progress on my reading goals
A reminder that my two goals for the year are:
to read (some or all of) the Vorkosigan saga
to read less or no US authors
I'm doing pretty well on those two scores. Read a few installments of the Vorkosigan saga, and (besides Bujold and a poetry anthology by Maggie Smith) have read no other US-based authors. My intention was to diversify my reading and, indeed, so far, I've read French, Japanese, Polish, UK, Australian, Irish, and currently reading a Ukrainian author.
fics I loved
I've not read as many books as I normally do so far, esp in the last couple of months, but I read a lot more fic than recent years. I've read some fab stuff in a variety of fandoms. The fics I'm going to rec below are the longer ones that I read on my ereader:
Tarnished Gold by Prim_the_Amazing (bingqiu/svsss, M, 118k) Inventive premise. Couldn't put it down.
Memory (T, 23k) and Out of the Dead Land (M, 62k), both stucky, both orphaned by one of my top authors ever. The second one gave me the worst fic hangover I had in ages. I had to go and rewatch Captain America.
contrapasso by damagecontrol (jegulus, E, 41k) Very horny. I like that.
Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble by pastapug (jegulus, E, 40k) Lush language, fascinating setting.
Beholden by Faith Wood (faithwood) (drarry, E, 123k) Gave me all the drarry feels.
Shout out to @hoko-onchi-writes's WIP: To Hold You in the Earth's Unholy Din, which I am loving <3
That's all, folks. Here's hoping for more wonderful reads till December!
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Scars
CW: references to self harm and alcohol abuse
The first time Voldemort fell, the marks branded onto the arms of his followers faded to nothing but a dull grey—a shadow of what they had once been. As he strengthened, they darkened. When he rose, they burned. And when he died, they disappeared into the ether as though they—as though he—had never been.
But Draco could still feel it, lingering beneath his skin, pulsing through his veins—a darkness that would not fade, an evil that would not die. His skin might be blank, but he knew, at the core of himself, that his soul was forever tainted.
He marked himself, instead—to remember, to punish, to feel. To purge the darkness that crawled through every artery until he felt like he would burst from the pressure. Stinging lines of red, a map of his sins scrawled across flesh that was clear and white but didn’t deserve to be.
—
The first time Voldemort met Harry, they both survived, but they both lost parts of themselves. The final time they met, they both died, and their pieces scattered and rearranged. When Harry returned, with his death etched across his chest, everyone hailed him as the hero that had saved them all, and they called him golden, and they thought him whole.
But Harry knew better, knew that the souls of those lost because he hadn’t been enough trailed behind him like chains, knew that everything inside him was grey and fragmented, knew that pieces of himself had been trapped on the other side, leaving him empty and raw.
He filled the gaping chasm with burning liquor that allowed the chains to float, that hid the grey under hazy amber, that dulled the sharp edges where parts of him had been ripped out in the shapes of the people he’d loved and could not save. At least for a while.
—
The first year that Draco and Harry spent together at Hogwarts, they saw each other as rivals. They schemed and fought and thought they knew hate, and they crashed against each other like waves in a stormy sea.
When they returned to Hogwarts for the final time, they saw each other as mirrors, reflecting back their own wounds. They were battered and broken and they knew, now, what hate really looked like, and they chose to bury it with their dead.
One of them was overflowing, his regret uncontainable. The other was empty, his grief fathomless. But in each other they found balance. Eventually, their painful edges melded seamlessly, soldered by a cleansing fire of forgiveness and second chances, and they glowed in the flames, melting and reforming and healing, and together they rose as something new.
Also on AO3
#drarry#drarry fic#drarry drabble#drarry vignette#my writing#sometimes I angst#but mostly I’ve been thinking about how the Dark Marks faded between wars#and what that would mean when Voldie died for good
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HP Rec Fest, Day 23
I can’t say soulmate AUs are among the things I read the most but every now and then I feel a soft yearning for that trope and I’m always open to new angsty interesting takes on it. I know this is a great comfort trope for many readers so I really wanted to do is justice at @hprecfest. I’m reccing two of my favourite authors, and I just realized that’s two Snarry recs in a row (you’d think I read this ship every other day which is def not the case as I’m very picky - I can picture Writ laughing at this 😂). Incidentally, both fics are 9k which means everyone will have two nice short treats to check before the Christmas Eve chaos. Oh, I’ve also recced a Rarry soulmate fic here, highly recommend it as well. Enjoy!
Day 23) a soulmate fic:
Drarry
swallow your words by @candybarrnerd (E, 9k)
The truth is, not many things are known about the magic that is behind soulmarks. They'll turn up when they want and not before. The truth is, you don't get a choice in your soulmark. The truth is, not everyone is okay with that.
what I really adore about this fic is that… they’re already there, right from the start. they fall for each other before Harry’s mark shows up (and of course it’s their first words to each other 🥺) and the lowkey angst comes from their sudden appearance and Draco’s not-so-receptive initial reaction to them. I say lowkey angst because the fic opens with such a gorgeous, intimate and tender lovemaking scene it’s impossible to believe they’re not already head over heels for each other - but learning that there’s someone “destined” for you out there brings implications and complications that Draco’s not yet ready to face. I love this take on the trope because that immediate panic and resistance to the whole soulmate concept is so relatable and raises a great question about predetermined x freely chosen love which I think it’s a fascinating and very mature discussion involving this trope.
Rare pair
A Universe of Searching Souls by @writcraft (Harry/Snape, E, 9k)
When the small, innocuous mark on Harry’s hip begins to cause him discomfort, he decides to go and visit the person who has a similar mark of their own. He’s fairly certain there must be some mistake, because the universe wouldn’t be daft enough to give Harry and Severus matching soul bond marks. Would it?
god help me, I’m so weak for Writ’s Snarry. this 9k fic actually feels longer thanks to the brilliant format and Harry’s compelling pov. I love the narrative style that highlights the passage of time through short (then not so short) vignettes covering Harry’s teenage and early adult years. he’s so lovely, earnest and tentative, a sharp contrast to this Snape who’s as insufferable and difficult - and therefore, perfect - as ever. I just reread this last night and am still howling at “I refuse to dismantle my wards for your stupid convenience Potter, you might as well stay the night” 😂 if you’ve read Writ’s other works you know their chemistry is deliciously addictive, charming and funny and full of blatant UST; the way Snape gets so easily undone by Harry’s eager honesty always gets me. for such a short story this is a masterclass in anticipation, and when they finally get there it’s hot af but also calm, intimate, familiar. definitely a must read!
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