#wheel of drarry 2023

[drarrymicrofic]

Wheel Of Drarry (WoD) Round 1/2023 Masterlist

Hello there!

Recently the Drarrymicrofic Discord Server ran its latest round of Wheel of Drarry (WoD) Fic Gift Exchange between participating members. Here is the compiled Masterlist, based on the details submitted by the gifters themselves. Please enjoy these beautiful works <3 To participants: If you see any errors with the links or the usernames, or if you don’t see your fic and want to be included, please reach out to Isami (isamijoo) on Discord.

1. Gift for @peachydreamxx by @makeitp1nk

Title: Overcome with light

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 295

Summary: For dear Eliza, as part of the WoD exchange for @drarrymicrofic, based on her prompt ethereal. A gazillion thanks to my beloved @crazybutgood for the always excellent beta. Inspired by The Dreamer Trilogy; the title is from the song with the same name by Bowerbirds. Hope you like it!

LINK TO FIC

2. Gift for @steampunkserpent27​  by @cavendishbutterfly

Title: As it was written

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Word Count: 4772

Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Second Wizarding War with Voldemort (Harry Potter), War Trauma, Depression, Nightmares, Canon-Typical Violence, Trans Male Draco Malfoy, Hurt/Comfort, Healing, Angst with a Happy Ending, snuggling with your former enemy, and weeping in their arms, a kneazle who probably has a secret evil agenda

Summary: Harry keeps having nightmares after the war. Someone keeps saving him.

LINK TO FIC

3. Gift for  @geesenoises​  by @wolfpants​

Title: The Holly and the Ivy

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 4640

Tags: EWE, Non-Linear Narrative, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Quidditch Player Draco Malfoy, Castles, Flashbacks, References to A Christmas Carol, Miscommunication, Idiots in Love, Misunderstandings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Holidays, Christmas, Fluff, Light Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, Charity Auctions, Rich Harry Potter, Prickly Draco Malfoy, POV Draco Malfoy

Summary: This year at the Annual Ministry Yule Auction, Magpies Seeker Draco Malfoy's time is up for sale. When Harry places the winning bid, will their contracturally-binding weekend together heal old wounds, or worsen them? Featuring a fluffy black cat called Marley, a castle on the western coast of Scotland, an Eighth Year Christmas kiss, and stupid boys who can't express their feelings.

LINK TO FIC

4. Gift for  @thebooktopus  by @themountainsgreen

Title: Midnight Confessions

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Word Count: 1576

Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Potioneer Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Idiots in Love, New Years Eve, Fluff, Holidays, Confessions, Falling In Love, Drarry, alternating POV

Summary: Sometimes, you need that special charm to realise what's right in front of you.

Harry's and Draco's is a tentative friendship, built on the ruins of Hogwarts and losses they’ve both suffered. This year marks the first time they spend New Year's Eve together. 

LINK TO FIC

5. Gift for @isamijoo​ by @steampunkserpent27

Title: Shared Glimpses and First Kisses

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 2029

Tags: Harry Potter EWE, Eighth Year, Pining, Fluff, Gift Giving, Getting Together, Yule Party, Dancing, Good Harry Potter, Good Draco Malfoy, Established Friendship, Oblivious Harry Potter, Banter, First Kiss, Boys in Love, Boys Kissing, Happy Ending

Summary: The Eighth years have put on their very own magical Yule Party to celebrate how far they have all come. Harry has invited Draco, knowing that his new-found friend has been having a tough year, but will he show up?

LINK TO FIC

6. Gift for @tink-wondering by @gallifrey1sburning​

Title: Waifs and Strays

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 5279

Tags: Alernate Universe - Different First Meeting, Chance Meetings, Runaway Harry Potter, Lost Draco Malfoy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Canonical Child Abuse (but nothing graphic), Libraries, Good Influence Tonks, Cousins don't let cousins grow up to be bigots, and friends don't leave their friends' kids in abusive households, pre-Harry/Draco, very very pre, they are small children then have many years to go, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon

Summary: When Draco Malfoy was seven years old, he got lost in Diagon Alley and met a cousin he’d never heard of. When Harry Potter was seven years old, he ran away from home and met a friend he never knew he had. A story of how chance encounters can change everything.

LINK TO FIC

7. Gift for @basicallyahedgehog​ by @nelweensfic

Title: Patience is the best gift

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 4037

Tags: Omegaverse, mpreg, smut, fluff, Omega Harry Potter, Alpha Draco Malfoy, christmas

Summary: After almost a decade of being both a teacher at Hogwarts, and an Omega, Harry realises there’s only one thing he's finally ready for: founding his own family.

LINK TO FIC

8. Gift for @wolfpants by @isamijoo​

Title: Take Your Time

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Word Count: 3000

Tags: Post-Hogwarts, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Not Epilogue Compliant, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Getting Together, Kissing, The Deathly Hallows  

Summary: Ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy owns a repair shop in Knockturn Alley. One day, Harry Potter came with a job for him.

LINK TO FIC

9. Gift for @blue--dreaming by @peachydreamxx

Title: Treacle Tarts and Longing Hearts

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Word Count: 4230

Tags: Hogwarts Alternate Universe- Canon Divergence, First Kiss, POV Draco Malfoy, Friends to Lovers, Flirting, Pining, Fluff, Awkward Crush Feelings

Summary: Draco would usually find studying an absolute breeze, if it weren’t for Harry Potter being such a frustratingly gorgeous distraction.

LINK TO FIC

10. Gift for @quackquackcey​ by @sorrybutblog

Title: Two of Us

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 5559

Tags: Professional Quidditch, Fake/Pretend Relationship, except not really because Harry is too dumb to realize he’s doing it, Pining, Jealousy, Quidditch teammates, Himbo Harry Potter, Smut, based on the vibes of a hockey rpf!!, Harry is a little repressed but he gets it in the end

Summary: The gang goes to a gay bar. Or: five times Harry accidentally pretended to be Draco’s boyfriend and one time Draco told him to put out or shut up.

LINK TO FIC

11.  Gift for @cluelesspigeons​  by @shealynn88

Title: For Everything, a Season

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Word Count: 1344

Tags: established Drarry, fluff, empty nest, parents with adult children

Summary: Harry misses the kids, but Draco knows how to cheer him up.

LINK TO FIC

12. Gift for @gallifrey1sburning by @blue--dreaming

Title: waiting for courage

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 1125

Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Canon Divergence - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Happy Ending, Post Sectumsempra Scene | Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter's Duel in the Bathroom  

Summary: In which Draco forgets about finding an odd book in the library as a child, but is somehow set on a better course anyway after an unexpected tumble.

LINK TO FIC

13. Gift for @nelweensfic​  by @cluelesspigeons​

Title: Counting Down To The New Year With You

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 2117

Tags: Minor Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas, Minor Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, New Year's Eve, New Year's Party, New Year's Kiss, Fights, Making Up, Grumpy Harry Potter, Healer Draco Malfoy, Sulking Harry Potter

Summary: Just before Harry left for the party, he and Draco had a massive fight. Will Draco forgive him before the new year begins?

LINK TO FIC

14. Gift for @sorrybutblog by @quackquackcey​

Title: "Little Blond Shite"

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 22557

Tags: Hogwarts Eighth Year, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Draco Malfoy Wielding a Bat, Humor, Crack Treated Seriously, Hijinks & Shenanigans, A little bit of mystery, Some Action, Baking, Everyone Thinks They're Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting Together, Falling In Love, Some pining, Banter, Eventual Smut, Probably one of the best things I’ve ever written, Wheel Of Drarry Mini-Exchange 2023, Animagus Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy Has Long Hair

Summary: Picture Draco Malfoy now in the habit of swingin’ a Beater’s bat—(not unlike Steve Harrington from Stranger Things)—after Harry Potter snatched his wand during the war. Now picture Draco Malfoy in eighth year minding his own business, getting rid of his excess handbaked goods by offering them to fairies, only to accidentally push Harry Potter into a fairy ring and get him cursed. That’s the story.

LINK TO FIC

15. Gift for @written-in-ash​ by @tink-wondering​

Title: Lacrima Mortis

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Word Count: 13954

Tags: Dementors, the Kiss, Azkaban, Veela!Draco, depressive thoughts, borderline suicidal ideation, self-harm, very brief and not really self-harm, but tagging it just in case, low self-esteem, mental health, microfics, within the fic itself, angst, happy ending, kind of an open ending, love is an important theme in this, as much as it is in the original story, canon divergent after the Lily’s and James’ deaths, wherein Voldemort truly died that night, but with a slight twist, so kind of, Alternate Universe, time travel, or more like time imprisonment, time-turner, Minor character death, nothing graphic and not from the character’s POV, No beta we die like Sirius, Spoiler alert?, canon compliant violence, Veela!Draco finding his mate, Panic Attack, cremation

Summary: Through history, Veelas have been hunted and almost decimated for one thing. A single thing that seems trivial and useless at first. A lone tear. Their last tear. Lacrima Mortis. Many advocated against the kills, yet it remains a potent potion ingredient. And now, though illegal, the hunt still perdures.

LINK TO FIC

Please read, leave a kudos and comment of these wonderful fics. Until next time, have a lovely day!

[oknowkiss]

fic claim: jerk/off

for @m0srael and the @drarrymicrofic wheel of drarry secret santa exchange 2023!

PAIRING: DRARRY RATING: E WORDCOUNt: 7K Read on AO3 Here!

Tags: Bodyswap, Face/Off AU kind of, intended PWP but there's like 6k of P before the P, University Student Draco Malfoy, Doing Nothing Much Harry Potter, Twelve Grimmauld Place, Curse Scar Magic, Blowjobs, Daddy Issues Summary: "You've got my face on your face," Malfoy says, contorting his - Harry's - face into an expression it had definitely never made before. "No, you've got my face on your face!" Harry insists, grimacing at the sound of Malfoy's voice. Being in his body is not unlike operating a sad wooden doll.

baby's first bodyswap!!! thank you to @citrusses & @sorrybutblog who cleaned this bad boy right up, and who never blink twice at my insanity, even when it is sometimes deserved.

it was honestly thrilling to get to write for @m0srael not once but TWICE in fests this year, and i did a little squeal when i saw that mose was my recipient once again. i'm so thrilled you enjoyed, and thank you as well to everyone who has already commented and left kudos. you're all amazing, and i feel very lucky to be in this fandom with everyone. here's to more in 2024!

[getawayfox]

My favorite reclist of the year! It’s the best excuse to reread beloved fics and shout about them again. I couldn’t wait any longer to post it, so, without further ado: here are my personal favorites from 2023 and why I love them, along with a banner I’m really pleased with. 

Thank you, sweet writers, for giving us your wonderful stories. Wishing everyone a happy December and an amazing and soft new year!

I Fall On Grass by @tackytigerfic Drarry, T, 3.1k

I adore stories with mature characters and this one is no exception. It’s so charming: gentle pining over the years, throughout the realities of life and parenthood, written with such a light hand. And lovely worldbuilding of a slow life that they built for themselves, which left me smiling the whole day after reading it. It feels like a soft caress for my soul.

It’s Me or the Peacock by harrows Drarry, T, 4.6

Do you ever feel like reading a fun, lighthearted fic that will have you grinning all day? Look no further, this is the one. Picture this: established Drarry taking the plunge to move in together, except Draco is bringing his “avian third wheel” with him, adding a feathered twist to the mix. Harry can’t quite believe what’s happening and that’s not even the half of it. This fic is a delight!

Sun Shower by @moonmanatee Drarry, T, 6k

Meet Orkie (short for Snorkel), the delightful cat who loves his boy Harry very much. They share a special bond, silently understanding not to delve into the origins of their pasts. What matters most is their companionship and the comforting routine they’ve woven together. Now, enter Draco Malfoy, a fashion icon with phenomenal outfits, his mud-loving dog, Hubert, and a dash of mouthwatering culinary creations. Your heart will grow three sizes by the time you’re done reading; mine certainly did.

Birds Behaving Badly by @peachpety Drarry, E, 10.5k

Oh, this fic!! I swear my whole body was wiggling with delight when I read it – it’s hilarious and hot and so witty. Draco has a type, which leads to a fun case of mistaken identity, all artfully resolved with the intervention of a conniving seagull, Kevin. Brace yourself for some sassy Slytherin banter, side characters so vividly portrayed they’ll steal your heart (Goyle, I’m looking at you), and the enchanting backdrop of a magical Brighton in the summer. Cue the squeals of delight! 

A Saviour’s Guide to Manners and Decorum by @wolfpants Drarry, E, 13k

I have read every fic Wolf has written this year and, let me tell you, choosing just one feels like an impossible task – I wish I could include them all. But here is my pick, and it’s not because it happened to be my birthday gift. This fic is a gem, seamlessly blending humor with a soft, wistful touch (oh, and do I need to mention it’s also incredibly hot?). It resonates because Harry just wants to be accepted for who he is, refusing to change for anyone (as he rightly shouldn't!). Enter Draco, who is here to help, and not to “fix him”. Sprinkle that with a subtle hint of D/s dynamics, a generous serving of UST, and a sensual shaving scene, and you have got the perfect fic. LOVE!

I only want the ones I envy (I envy) by @porcelainheart3 Drarry, E, 13.5k

This fic is so stunning! A coming-out story with writing so clean and sharp it made me laugh out loud through (lots of) inevitable tears. It has a very competent magical inventor Draco, who wears sock garters(!). It has Harry on a self-discovery journey that feels so very real; with a heart-wrenching childhood flashback that will leave you shattered. It has the most supportive friends. It has banter and flirting and so many wonderful details (look closely at the newspaper in the fic for an extra dose of laughter). And let's not forget the most incredibly emotional blow job; talk about smut with feelings! It’s one of those fics that made me read the rest of the author’s catalog immediately (and trust me, you should too!).

A Time, Dark and Divine by @moonflower-rose Established Drarry, Draco/Ron/Harry, E, 17k

Oh boy oh boy oh boy, this fic is so scorching hot. And their dynamic is so complex: jealousy and possessiveness wrapped up in a delicious package of a boys' trip in Thailand. A stunning Ron POV filled to the brim with complicated history and tension, incredible characterization for all three of them, culminating, inevitably, in hot-hot-hot sex. I couldn’t get this story out of my head for days. If you, like me, like feelings with your smut, this one’s for you! 

Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm Drarry, E, 22k

This story is so charming and whimsical! First of all, this Draco is such an utter delight that I fell in love with him right away. He’s so entertaining! The concept of Christmas in July gives the story a wonderfully atmospheric and slightly wistful tone. Add to it a very domestic and playful dynamic between Draco and Harry, top-notch dialogue, so many creative details, and an absolutely delicious and intimate sex scene. From beginning to end, this fic is so warm and touching; a gentle romance that feels as if it was enchantingly sprinkled with a cheering charm.

the first in line by @oflights Drarry, E, 29.5k

This fic is hilarious, mischievous, and sexy all at the same time. And also a little bit unhinged in the best possible way. It had me in its grip from the very first sentence: “When the clock strikes midnight on his 25th birthday, Harry is having a threesome with a werewolf and a vampire.” (chef’s kiss!) and it didn’t let me go. We have a reluctant and grumpy Veela Harry, an over-the-top Draco, summer vacation vibes, a magical yacht, wooing with a hot air balloon (and more!), plus an absolutely delightful non-monogamous background Romione. Gah!!!

Of Magical Beings Being - Magic by @rockingrobin69 Drarry, E, 30k

What’s actually magic here is Robin’s writing. It’s… wait, I don’t think I have words for how rich and full this world is, how special! There’s pining and soft angst and an unreliable narrator and exes to lovers, but somehow all that doesn’t even begin to describe what this story is. It’s witty and fascinating and soft and playful. It’s about loving the other person so much that you do the wrong thing because you think that’s what they want, even though it hurts you. It’s about manifesting them in everything you do until they come back. It’s about Love, about Happiness. It knocked the breath out of me. It’s unbearably lovely.

Winner takes it all by @skeptiquewrites Drarry, E, 41k

This fic is absolutely devastating in a sort of gentle way. My heart broke a million times for this wonderful, hardworking, cornered Draco – who’s looking after his mum – as well as for a whole bunch of beautifully written side characters. The story starts with a bet, and from there, it unravels with Tee's razor-sharp writing, infused with nuance that makes the narrative incredibly rich and undeniably real. If you're in the mood for a cathartic cry, followed by a sweet, happy ending, don't walk – run to this fic!

[basiatlu]

A Fic…? Written by.. moi?

Is this what the people call a Fic Claim?

Ahem

A Breath Before Leaping

Written for the 2023 Wheel of Drarry, a Secret Santa fic exchange

Ron leaned forward in a clumsy swoop to slap him across the shoulder, shaking him once more. "There you go, mate! Easy. Didn't even have to put your foot in your mouth this time. It's all in the hips, yeah? You swept - no, danced him off his feet!" He slid back into Hermione's side, laughing at his own joke. Harry, feeling awfully sorry for himself, let out a chuckle to humor Ron more than anything.

"No, Ron! Communication!"

"Ah, right then. Of course. Harry!" Ron did his best to pull together a serious face. "You better come clean tonight! After you clean up: yourself that is. You know—" He leaned in closely, a hand cupped around his mouth. "—Get all prepped or whatever for getting down with the ferret."

"Ronald!" Hermione cried.

"What? What'd I say?"

———

It was a nerve wrecking pleasure to write my very first fic for @cavendishbutterfly but I couldn’t leave it alone and had to wedge in a drawing as well!

If you would like to read a vaguely Christmas-y 3k of pining, fumbling Harry with some spicy art slapped on at the end, please click the link above✨

[drarryspecificrecs]

2023.12 ~ Top 5 longest fics posted on AO3

1. The Man Who Forgot by @slightweasel [E, 250k]

►After ten years of marriage, Harry forgets. The more things change, the more Draco Malfoy is still up to something.

2. Conjuring Cupid by @sugarplum-senpai [M, 89k]

►Two decades after Hogwarts, Harry's toy shop is ready for the busiest season of the year. Bolstered with an ever-growing work list, plenty of tea, and a sentient puppet always looking for mischief, his life is full. Still, at the end of the day, he’s lonely, and as the boy who lived his search looking for a match is disastrous. When his friends register him for an anonymous dating service, he’s unconvinced. Then again, maybe not knowing each other’s faces right away might just give him everything he’s longing for.

3. City of Quartz by ladygoodman [M, 57k]

►[...] It's 2012, and the granddaughter of Celestina Warbeck is pronounced dead at her home in Los Angeles. Auror Harry Potter finds the case file a little too familiar with other celebrity deaths cropping up all over the UK. The Dark Mark is making an appearance on young witches and wizards as well. There are only a few former Death Eaters who haven't been locked away in Azkaban, and Draco Malfoy is one of them. On that suspicion, Harry follows his tracks all the way to sunny Los Angeles, where he's faced with an entirely new caliber of celebrity culture. Who is Caelum West? How is he mixed in with all of this? And why does he look exactly like Draco Malfoy?

4. Nervous? by @invisible-nerd-girl [T, 46k]

►Harry gets drunk at a party, only to remember a game he over heard muggles talking about. He ends up playing with Draco who doesn't back down. Much to his surprise, it doesn't end there.

5. If I win, lose, or draw, there’s a winner in us all by MystMelody [E, 41k]

►Sixteen years ago, Harry and his England team suffered World Cup heartbreak following an agonisingly close loss at the hands of a single, incorrect umpiring decision. Many years and two World Cup victories later, and Harry is (mostly) sure that he has moved on. As Harry’s final tournament before retirement looms, he is confident that his team have what it takes to lift the trophy a third time - no matter what anyone else might say. Especially Malfoy, who has reinvented himself as a successful Quidditch reporter and seems determined to write as many awful things about the team as possible. [...]

—

※ Word count: 1k ~ 15k

※ Word count: 15k ~ 40k

The Lost Boy by @youhavemyswordandmybow [M, 17k]

Dark Artistry by @sightedkarma [E, 26k]

The infallibility of unicorn hair by mindor [E, 18k]

Just Exist by Kendra_Storm [T, 32k]

More than a Legend by @romaine2424 [M, 17k]

New Beginnings Taste Sweet (Daffodils) by corazon_san [T, 18k]

O Come, All Ye Faithful by toomuchplor [E, 19k]

Secrets Undone (the Lightning Order) by @xx-thedarklord-xx [M, 39k]

Spoils of War by instead_of_sleeping [E, 30k]

What happened at Christmases by ProseMary [?, 15k]

You're Scrooged, Draco Malfoy by @fencer-x [M, 27k]

—

Ongoing Fest/Exchange

※ Fics would be listed elsewhere.

25 Days of Draco and Harry 2023 | @slythindor100

Frottage Cottage FFF

H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

Harry/Draco Owlpost 2023 | @hdowlpost

Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

Dark Festivus Gift Exchange 2023 | @harrypotterfesthub

Fanatical Fam Fic Exchange 2023

HP Festival of Stars 2023 | @hpfestofstars

HP Soulmates Secret Santa 2023 | @hp-soulmates-secret-santa

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023 | @hp-yuletide-bliss​

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest 2023 | @yuletide-and-mulled-wine

2023 Harry Potter Trans Comfort Fest | @magicaltrans

[citrusses]

2023 Writing Wrap Up

Thanks for the tag @sorrybutblog and @wolfpants! The Drarry brainrot finally manifested as writing for me this year! Tagging @oknowkiss @sweet-s0rr0w @thehoneybeet @mallstars @oflights @moonflower-rose @nv-md @shealynn88 @mintawasalreadytaken @ghaniblue @cassiopeiasshadow @tackytigerfic @epitomereally and anyone else who wants to share their year!

Our Objective Remains Unchanged (E, 46K, Muggle AU, university rivals to lovers)

Harry Potter, returning member of the Oxford University Boat Club, has two goals for the spring of 2005: beat Cambridge, and beat Draco Malfoy. Perhaps not in that order.

The Isle of Ogygia (E, 13K, Wheel of Drarry, pining, solitude, strip poker)

There is an island, far out in the sea.

Löyly (E, 10K, Suds Fest, steamy saunas, cold plunges, fluff)

Somewhere between the steam of a sauna and the icy waters of the Gulf of Finland, Harry heals from a broken engagement and a failed career. Draco Malfoy helps.

The Roommates (E, 3K, Sirius/Draco ➡️ Drarry, voyeurism, rough sex)

Harry would later wonder if, that first time it happened, he hadn’t been meant to find out all along.

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2023.12.18

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Memos of Originality by @xx-thedarklord-xx [T, 2k]

►Harry owns a publishing company, and his best employee is Malfoy, who sends daily updates from home, but doesn't realize that Scorpius sends his own daily updates to Harry through the Floo every morning. And Harry? Well, he knows exactly what to do with them.

---

Fest/Exchange

★ Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

Help! I'm a Hopeless Romantic! by Anonymous [M, 14k]

Take A Stab At It by Anonymous [E, 3k]

Teddy's Timetable by Anonymous [T, 1k]

.

4. A Hand To Hold (in the dark) by Anonymous [T, 5k]

►It started small. It didn't end that way. A quick tale of falling in love while you piece yourself back together. ★ Harry/Draco Owlpost 2023 | @hdowlpost

5. Say It Out Loud by Anonymous [E, 11k]

►Eighth year was bollocks, as far as Draco could tell. ★ Harry/Draco Owlpost 2023 | @hdowlpost

6. To catch a star by @myrtlefics [M, 1k]

►“Of course I came, Potter.” He swung his broom at his side and raised an eyebrow to the precise angle most apt to get Potter flushing. [...] ★ Frottage Cottage FFF

7. We're All Mad Here by Anonymous [T, 4k]

►Draco Malfoy, a doctor, pays a visit to his boyfriend Harry Potter on Christmas Eve. Harry has been placed in a Psychiatric Hospital for delusions of a magical world. Harry Potter, an Auror, pays a visit to his boyfriend Draco Malfoy on Christmas Eve. Draco has been placed in a Psychiatric Hospital for delusions of a wholly muggle world. ★ Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest 2023 | @yuletide-and-mulled-wine​

8. À Bon Chat by Anonymous [E, 35k]

►Draco Malfoy didn’t intend to lead a life of crime after the war. It’s just that being good had turned out so incomprehensibly boring. Now he's thirty-five, a fully redeemed member of society, the darling of the wizarding social pages, and a newly minted consultant for Gawain Robards' Investigative Research division. In his spare time, he enjoys good whisky, casual sex, and moonlighting as an art thief. [...] ★ H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

[lee-bella]

HP Fest Schedule: December 2023

Below the cut is a list of HP fest dates for the month of December. If you are curious about what's happening in 2024, see the full HP Fest Schedule (Google doc).

December 1

Sirius Black Fest 2023: Posting begins.

H/D Erised 2023 (Tumblr; exchange): Posting starts.

H/D Owlpost 2023: Call for pinch-hitter. Posting begins.

25 Days of Draco & Harry (LJ, Tumblr): Challenge begins.

Deflower December: Challenge begins.

Liquid Luck Roll the Dice Winter Edition: Challenge begins.

HP Chan Fest (AO3, DW): Claiming opens.

Harry Potter Rec Fest: Challenge begins.

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023: Challenge opens.

Snolidays 2023 (Severus): Challenge begins.

dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge: Challenge begins.

Rare Pair Shorts Winter Prompt Challenge (Tumblr): December challenge begins.

25 Days of Kinkmas: Challenge begins.

December 2

Marauders Mayhem Voldy's Valentines (exchange): Sign-up opens.

December 3

Blackcest Fest 2024 (Black family; incest): Prompting ends.

December 4

Blackcest Fest 2024 (Black family; incest): Claiming opens.

HP Triad!Fest: Prompting closes.

December 5

HoggyWartyXmas Prompt Fest: Submissions due.

Hoggywartyxmas Book Club: Opening post due.

HoggyWartyXmas Be Creative (non-fic/art medium): Submissions due.

Magical Trans Comfort Fest 2023: Fest & prompts announced.

December 7

HP Triad!Fest: Claiming opens.

HP Trans Fest 2024: Fest announced.

December 8

Draco Tops Harry Fest 2024 (Tumblr): Announced.

December 9

Riddle Fest (AO3): Prompting begins.

December 10

HP Festival of Stars 2023: Claiming ends.

Drarry Fans Discord Server Double Drabble Exchange (discord only): Works due.

December 11

Charlie's Birthday Bash: Claiming ends. Stories due.

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[gallifrey1sburning]

Waifs and Strays

For @tink-wondering for the @drarrymicrofic 1/2023 Wheel of Drarry exchange. Many thanks to the mods, to @savvyspark86 for the Brit pick and help on early childhood developmental norms, and @shigacajun for the beta!

Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy Word count: 5K Rating: G Also on AO3

Summary:

When Draco Malfoy was seven years old, he got lost in Diagon Alley and met a cousin he’d never heard of. When Harry Potter was seven years old, he ran away from home and met a friend he never knew he had.

A story of how chance encounters can change everything.

—

When Draco Malfoy was seven years old, he got separated from his mother on a trip to Diagon Alley. A peddler near the entrance to Gambol and Japes had been showing off a toy dragon that was breathing fire—real fire!—as it darted around his head, and Draco, mesmerized, had stopped. By the time he looked up, his mother was lost in the crowd.

“Mother!” he called, feeling rather huffy that she hadn’t waited for him. When she didn’t appear, however, nervousness quickly overtook his annoyance. “Mother?!” he called again, more loudly this time, but still, she didn’t respond. He couldn’t see her distinctive blonde hair anywhere. 

Draco began to panic. He spun in a circle, tears beginning to prick at the corners of his eyes and face scrunching up in a way that his father would have told him was unbecoming of a Malfoy and lacked decorum. His next call came out somewhat wobbly and rather quieter than he would have liked. “Mummy?”

“Hey there. You lost?” The voice came from behind Draco, and he whipped around, startled, to find an older girl he’d never seen before crouching near him. He sniffled and nodded, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers, he knew, but something about this girl made him feel safe. She looked quite grown up to Draco—she might have even been a teenager—with warm, dark eyes and a friendly smile, and he thought she seemed like just the right sort of person to help him (and not be angry at him for being a crybaby out in public, like his father would have been).

“I can’t find my mummy,” He mumbled. “I was looking at the dragon and…” a tear rolled down his cheek, and the girl reached out and wiped it away with her thumb like it was the most natural thing in the world. She glanced up at where Draco pointed and smiled. 

“Don’t blame you, mate; that’s pretty wicked.” She looked back down at him. “I’m Dora, what’s your name?”

“Draco. Draco Malfoy.” 

Dora’s eyebrows shot up. “Malfoy, huh?” 

Draco nodded.

“Does your mum happen to be called Narcissa?” she asked. When Draco nodded again, Dora grinned. “Guess what?” she asked him.

“What?”

“That means we’re cousins!”

Draco’s anxiety began to abate as his curiosity and confusion rose. “I don’t have a cousin called Dora.”

Dora grinned. “Oh they wouldn’t have told you about me. Your mum and my mum don’t get on very well.”

“Why not?” Draco asked. 

“Ahh, it’s a long story. Maybe I’ll tell you some other time, yeah? For now, let’s go find your mum.”

Somewhat reluctantly, Draco nodded. He wanted to know more about this mysterious cousin, but he also really wanted his mother. Dora held her hand out for him to take, and he took it, even though Father said he was too old for such things. Draco didn’t want to get lost again, and father never had to know. 

They had only walked a block in the direction Draco and his mother had been headed when he heard a familiar, panicked voice calling for him. Lighting up inside, Draco began to tug Dora toward it, but Dora held him back gently.

“Listen, Draco. It was really nice to meet you, but your mum probably shouldn’t see you with me, because of what I said before. Alright?”

Draco’s lip wobbled. “You can’t stay with me until we see her?”

“I can,” she reassured him, “but I don’t want her to recognize me. Want to see something cool?”

After making sure he could still hear his mother’s voice, Draco nodded quickly. Smiling at him, Dora began to change her face. Draco’s eyes went wide with shock as her hair darkened and her eyes lightened, her lips thinning and her cheeks rounding out. “How did you do that?”

“I’m a metamorphmagus. It’s a secret—just like us meeting is. I can tell you’re pretty mature, though, so I know I can trust you with it.” She smiled and winked at him. 

Draco nodded solemnly, feeling grown up and important. “I’m very good at keeping secrets,” he told her.

“I thought so. Alright, let’s go!” When Dora began to move forward, however, Draco pulled her to a stop again and bit his lip. He was feeling less scared now that he knew his mother was nearby, and he had just realized something.

“Will I not be able to talk to you again, then, if it’s a secret that I met you?”

Dora looked a bit sad for a moment, but then she eyed him consideringly. “Are you old enough to know how to write?”

“Of course I am!” he answered, offended. He’d been able to write in sentences for several months now.

Clearly trying not to laugh, Dora apologized. “Sorry, I don’t have any younger siblings, and I don’t know your age. I was asking because I thought maybe we could be pen pals… if you can get or send letters without your parents knowing, that is. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

“I’m seven,” Draco announced, still feeling mildly put out. Then he thought about the rest of what she’d said. He liked the idea of a secret pen pal. “A house elf might help me?”

“Clever,” Dora said approvingly, eyebrows rising. “Alright, I’ll write to you soon, then, okay?”

Draco smiled and nodded, affront immediately forgotten in his pleasure at both the compliment and the promise of receiving a letter from his fascinating new cousin.

With that settled, they followed the sound of Narcissa Malfoy’s voice until they were close enough that Draco could sprint to her. After hugging his mother, Draco turned and waved to Dora. She returned his wave before blending back into the crowd. 

“Who was that, darling?” Narcissa asked.

“I don’t know,” Draco answered with what he hoped was a convincing shrug. “Just some girl who said she would help me find you. She was nice.”

Narcissa gave a moue of disapproval. “You know you shouldn’t talk to strangers, Draco.” He blushed and looked down, and she sighed. “But I suppose there’s been no real harm done, and the circumstances were unusual. Come along, just one more shop to visit and then we can return home.”

“Yes, mother.”

—

Draco thought about his mysterious metamorphmagus cousin for the rest of the day. Despite his excitement and impatience, he managed to wait until after he heard his parents go to bed to try to call an elf. He’d never done so by himself before, but he was pretty sure he knew what to do.

“Dobby!” he hissed once he was reasonably sure all was clear, and to his pride, the elf popped into existence almost instantly.

“Master Draco is needing something?” the elf asked, rather more loudly than was necessary in Draco’s opinion. Draco glanced nervously at his closed door, but he didn’t hear anyone coming to investigate the sounds.

“Yes.” He tried to make his voice cool and commanding like his father’s. “Now that I’m seven, any post addressed to me should be given to me, not my parents. You will deliver it to me here. You will also keep anything sent to me, or that I send, secret. Do you understand?”

Dobby’s already gigantic eyes went even wider. “Master Draco, Dobby is not being able to lie to Master Lucius and Mistress Narcissa! House elves is not allowed to lie to their masters!”

“I know that,” Draco said, rolling his eyes. “But keeping a secret isn’t lying. Not unless they ask you about it.”

Dobby nodded, though he looked doubtful. “I suppose you is right, sir.”

Draco tried not to let his relief show. “Of course I am. So you’ll do it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Draco didn’t have much experience dealing with elves himself—it was always his mother or father giving them orders—and he couldn’t remember what he was supposed to do now. 

“Err, thank you. Goodnight.”

Dobby’s mouth dropped open in shock before he promptly burst into tears. 

Draco stared in stunned silence as the creature wailed, “No one is ever thanking Dobby or wishing Dobby a good night before! Master Draco is a kind and generous Master!” He seemed ready to go on, but Draco, snapping out of his shock, shushed him loudly. 

“If my parents hear you, we’ll both be in trouble!”

Immediately, Dobby clapped a hand over his mouth, cringing. “Dobby is sorry, sir,” he whispered through his fingers. “How should Dobby be punishing himself, Sir?”

Draco had heard his father direct the house elves to punish themselves in various more or less creative ways over the years, but he had never thought much about it. Now, though, as he stood with Dobby before him, the idea of telling him to hurt himself made Draco feel a little queasy. “I don’t want you to,” he said, feeling even worse as the elf looked—if possible—more awed than before. “In fact… I order you not to punish yourself. Just be quiet and don’t wake my parents.” He paused. “Er… you can go now.”

After a moment, during which he opened and closed his mouth several times but did not make a sound, Dobby nodded and popped away.

—

When Harry Potter was seven years old, he ran away from home. His Aunt and Uncle had told him that he had to walk to and from school all week (“And be grateful it isn’t for longer, boy!”) as punishment for wrecking Dudley’s tricycle, even though Harry was pretty sure they’d seen their son do it himself. Harry didn’t argue very hard to defend himself, however. By now, he was used to being blamed for Dudley’s behavior, and he hated riding with Dudley, anyway—most days, his cousin just picked on him for the whole ride. Still, the school was not particularly nearby, and by the time Harry arrived, he was late and his feet were aching and covered in burning, stinging patches of raw skin where his too-large secondhand shoes rubbed against his skin through the holes in his socks. The teacher made him write his name on the board for his lateness, and Dudley and his friends snickered at him as he made his way to his seat while trying not to limp.

When school ended, Harry contemplated taking the local bus home despite what his aunt and uncle said and just getting off a stop or two early so that they would think he’d walked, but he quickly ruled the possibility out—Dudley would tell on him for sure if he tried it. No, he was stuck trudging the whole way home, where he would probably be punished for being late for the second time that day. He hoped they would at least give him something to eat before locking him in his cupboard.

They didn’t.

Harry lay on his cot that night, watching the spiders and dreading repeating the full experience again the next day. And the next. And the next. Tears pricked at his eyes. Harry didn’t cry often—he’d learned a long time ago that it never helped anything—but he couldn’t help it. He was hungry, and his feet and legs hurt, and his Aunt and Uncle hated him and didn’t want him here. He didn’t want to be here, either, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He could try running away, but he wasn’t really sure how. He’d thought about it many times, but he’d always gotten stuck on that part. Everyone in their neighborhood would just march him straight back to the Dursleys if they found him wandering around, and now, with his blistered feet, he wouldn’t be able to get very far even if they didn’t.

Sighing dejectedly, Harry turned on his side, trying to think of happier things so that he might have nice dreams for once. He was nearly asleep when the idea came to him. 

—

The next morning, Harry announced that he was leaving for school well before Uncle Vernon departed for work, rightfully assuming that no one would care enough to ask him why he was going so early as long as he did the dishes first.

But he didn’t go to school. Instead, he used the spare key he’d secretly taken from his Aunt’s handbag (along with a few pounds, which he’d tucked carefully into the inner pocket of his worn old rucksack) to unlock Uncle Vernon’s car. After climbing in and shutting and locking the door behind him, he left the key on the floor by the steering wheel to make it look as though it had just been dropped there by accident. He then clambered into the back, feeling around until he found the latch that folded one of the seats down and provided access to the car’s boot. Finally, he slithered through the opening, pulled the seat back up behind himself, and settled in between Uncle Vernon’s golf clubs and some musty-smelling blankets. 

A bit more than an hour later, once he was sure his uncle was safely in his office, Harry reversed his trip, moving from the boot to the backseat and then out of the car entirely. Brushing the dust off of himself, he swung his rucksack over his shoulder and made his way out of the quiet concrete car park and onto the loud, bustling streets of London.

After the shock and excitement of realizing that his plan had worked had worn off, however, Harry was faced with the fact that he had no idea what to do next. He walked slowly, his feet still burning with pain, and did his best to stay invisible—he’d had a lot of practice at it with the Dursleys, so it wasn’t too hard—but he wasn’t sure where he should go now. He thought he wouldn’t have too much trouble sleeping on the sidewalk or a bench, somewhere; he had seen grown ups doing it when he’d been out with the Dursleys and heard Aunt Petunia complain about how “unsightly” it was, but he didn’t think it would be much worse than his cupboard. And he had the money he’d nicked, which he could use for food, but he’d been afraid to take too much in case Aunt Petunia noticed it was gone and called the police, so he knew it probably wouldn’t last him very long. 

Harry wandered aimlessly for a while, and his feet grew increasingly sore. He was starting to feel like he might have made a big mistake running away, even though it was terrible at the Dursleys’, when he saw a sign for a library. He stared up at the huge building, not quite able to believe his luck. Harry loved libraries. They were quiet, and the librarians were always kind to him and never told him off for asking questions, and he could read about all sorts of things. Harry was pretty good at reading, because Dudley never noticed if his books were gone as long as Harry hid them well and put them back later. Carefully, he made his way up the wide stone steps, slipped through the open door as a man let himself out, and glanced around. There was a long, tall desk at the front with a dark-skinned lady sitting behind it, and he approached her cautiously.

“Excuse me.” Harry had to stand on his tiptoes a bit to get the lady’s attention, as the top of his head didn’t quite clear the desk’s surface. “Could you tell me where the children’s books are?”

The lady looked down at him in surprise, smiling when she caught his eyes. “Well! Hello there. The children’s section is just that way—” she pointed to her right, “—past that big archway. Do you see it?”

“Yes, thank you!” Harry grinned at her and turned in the direction she’d indicated.

“Shouldn’t you wait for your parents?” the lady asked before he made it more than two steps away. “It’s a big building; I wouldn’t want you to get lost.”

“Oh, my parents aren’t with me; they’re finishing up their shopping.” The lie slipped surprisingly easily from Harry’s lips. “They said I could come and wait here because I got tired.”

The lady eyed him for a moment, seeming to take in his worn, overlarge clothes and messy hair, a hint of worry showing on her face. “Is everything alright? Do you need me to call someone for you, perhaps? My name is Priscilla, by the way.” 

Harry tried to make his smile reassuring. “I’m Harry. And I’m fine, but thank you!” He trotted off a bit faster than was comfortable, not wanting to give Priscilla a chance to ask more questions. 

He spent a pleasant afternoon curled up looking at comic books. Dudley never let Harry near his comics—he liked them much better than books, since they had explosions and things—so they’d been the first thing Harry had looked for. There was a big pit full of plush pillows in the middle of the children’s room, and no one bothered him after he’d settled in there. 

Although it was hours later, it felt like almost no time had passed when a woman announced to the room that the library would be closing in half an hour, bursting the happy bubble in which Harry had spent the day as he remembered why he was here. Reluctantly, he put the plastic-protected comic back on the shelf where he’d found it and made his way to the door, checking to make sure that Priscilla wasn’t watching. He was afraid that she might ask about his parents again if he left alone, and he didn’t know what he would do if she insisted he wait for them. 

As he peeked around the corner, Harry’s eyes caught on a very thin man standing close by in a jumper almost as shabby as Harry’s own, who was looking down at a book in his hands. He found himself staring. The man had scars on his face, just like Harry did. Harry had never seen anyone else with scars on their face, and his aunt and uncle always made him cover his with his fringe as much as possible because they said they made him look like a freak. But this man wasn’t covering his, and no one seemed to be looking at him. 

Well, except for Harry.

Just as Harry realized that he was probably being very rude, the man looked over and his eyes caught Harry’s. They went wide with shock, and he dropped his book, which hit the carpeted floor with a whump. “Harry?” he whispered. “Harry Potter?”

Harry shrank back, nervous. Strangers came up to him on the street sometimes, acting like they knew him, and while it was odd, they always seemed cheerful and excited, at least until his aunt or uncle chased them off. But this man didn’t look cheerful—he looked like he’d seen a ghost. The man lifted a hand, reaching out toward Harry, but dropped it immediately at Harry’s expression. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He was no longer whispering, but his voice was quiet and hoarse, as though he didn’t talk all that much. He held Harry’s gaze, but kept himself carefully still, like Harry did when he was trying to get a bunny or a stray cat to come near him in the garden. 

Harry relaxed a tiny bit when it became clear that the man wasn’t going to try to grab him. Warily, he asked, “Who are you?” 

“My name is Remus,” the man told him. “Your parents were friends of mine. That’s why I was so surprised; you look very much like your father did when we were young.”

Harry’s eyes went wide. “You knew my parents?”

“I did. Quite well, in fact.”

“Could you tell me about them?” Harry asked eagerly, his unease dissipating entirely. “My aunt and uncle won’t… er.” He stopped himself. If he told this man—Remus—that he wasn’t allowed to ask the Dursleys about his parents, he might decide to follow their rules. “They don’t talk about them much,” Harry said instead.

Remus frowned, and then he glanced around behind Harry. “Is Petunia here somewhere?”

“Er.” It wasn’t as easy to lie to Remus as to Priscilla, Harry found. Although the fact that Remus knew Aunt Petunia’s name seemed to prove that he was telling the truth, which was reassuring. Still, Harry shrugged and looked down.

“You’re on your own?”

Harry shrugged again. He could feel Remus’s eyes on him, and he knew he was seeing the shabby clothes and ratty bag, just like Priscilla had. Suddenly, Harry felt like crying, and he wasn’t really sure why.

“Where are you supposed to meet her? Or are you meeting your uncle?” Remus asked, and his voice sounded almost angry, making Harry wince. “Why don’t I wait with you?”

Harry’s head shot up. “No!”

Remus looked angry now, and a bit dangerous, and Harry stepped backward, clutching at the strap of his rucksack. “Harry, where are your aunt and uncle?” 

“I— they’re—” he stared at Remus helplessly, and then the tears he’d been trying to hold back began to fall. “Please don’t make me go back.”

Immediately, Remus’s expression changed to one of worry and he knelt down on one knee next to Harry, putting his hands on his shoulders. Harry flinched, but Remus made no move to do anything else—to push him or pull him or squeeze his arm like Uncle Vernon sometimes would to make him be quiet in front of other people—so he didn’t pull away. 

“Harry. Oh, Harry. What happened?”

And for some reason that he didn’t quite understand himself, Harry told him. 

Harry felt like he was babbling for ages, with Remus just patiently listening, but when he got to the part about his painful feet, Remus hissed out a breath and, after a few moments where he seemed to be fighting with himself, he offered to take Harry back to his flat to look at them. “Usually, I would tell you not to go anywhere with a stranger, but I’m not really sure what else to do right now,” he admitted to Harry. 

Harry, sniffling, nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

“Would it be okay if I carried you?” Remus asked him softly. “I don’t want to make you walk anymore if you don’t have to.” Harry nodded again, and Remus scooped him up easily. Harry couldn’t remember the last time someone had picked him up. It felt strange, but nice. “Alright,” Remus said, settling Harry against his hip. “Let’s find someplace quiet for me to Apparate from, shall we?”

“What’s Apparate?” Harry asked, rubbing at his damp eyes.

Remus looked taken aback for a moment before shaking his head. “I suppose you wouldn’t know, would you? Living with Muggles all this time. Right. Why don’t I show you?”

He’d been walking them to an empty row of big, intimidating-looking books with matching covers as he talked, and after looking back and forth to make sure no one was around, he turned on the spot. Harry’s stomach felt funny and everything went dark and weird and Harry wanted to yell, but he couldn’t, and then it all stopped and they were suddenly standing in a tiny, shabby but clean flat.

And that was how Harry Potter first learned about magic.

He learned quite a bit more over the following days, as Remus spent a good deal of time with his head in his fireplace or arguing with people whose faces appeared in the fire. Remus tried to keep his conversations quiet enough that Harry wouldn’t hear. He also gave Harry some magical books to look at, which Harry knew was probably just to distract him, but he didn’t mind very much. The pictures in some of them moved about like the pages were little tellies, much to Harry’s shock and delight, and some of them even read themselves to him out loud. Still, he overheard enough of the fire calls (as Remus called them) to gather that there were people who very much wanted to send Harry back to the Dursleys and others that were working very hard to make sure that that didn’t happen—including Remus himself.

After two days, during which Harry slept on Remus’s ancient sofa (that Harry assured Remus was a thousand times more comfortable than his cupboard, which made Remus’s face do something funny before he immediately threw some of the weird powder that turned the flames green into his fireplace, put his head in, and began to yell at someone), Remus told him, with an exhausted smile, that—if he wanted to—Harry could stay and live with him for the time being. “It might not be forever,” he cautioned. “There are some people who think that you would do better with a family or someone who has a bigger space and more resources, but we can see if we can make it work.”

“I can stay?” Harry asked, not quite able to believe his own ears. “Really?” He liked it here with Remus more than anywhere he’d ever been. Remus was kind to him and fed him at every meal and would sometimes put a hand on his shoulder or back or ruffle his hair in a way that no one ever had before. Harry, for once, felt safe and welcome.

“Really,” Remus promised. Harry, grinning so wide his face hurt, hugged him.

—

Draco found writing letters with Dora both exciting and confusing. She seemed very smart and impressive to Draco, and she talked to him like he wasn’t a stupid child. She was in her 4th year at Hogwarts, he found out, and wanted to be an Auror when she grew up, which Draco thought was very cool. But some of the things she said made him feel strange and uncomfortable. For instance, when she finally explained why their mothers didn’t get on, he found out it was because her father was a Muggle, which meant she was a half-blood. His father always told Draco that half-bloods—mudbloods, he called them, but Dora had told Draco that wasn’t a nice word to use—weren’t real wizards and that Muggles were dangerous. But Dora’s father sounded kind and funny when she told stories about him, and Dora was brilliant. She even sent Draco some Muggle comic books, which Draco thought were even better than Martin Miggs, and which he hid carefully under his mattress for safekeeping.

The more Draco and Dora wrote, the more he wondered about all the things his father told him. Some of it just seemed… wrong. Draco had always believed that his father knew everything, but the things he said didn’t seem to fit with the things he was learning from his cousin. He decided that he needed to know more. When he tentatively asked Dora if there were other Muggle things that he could read, she sent him books from when she was younger that her parents had kept—one at a time, so that he could read them and send them back and not have to worry about finding places to hide them. They were fascinating and forbidden, and Draco soon found himself wanting quite badly to go see some of the things he read about himself. 

Eventually, shortly after Draco turned eight, he asked Dora if she could take him out into the Muggle world for a visit. She was clearly pleased that he’d asked, but said that she didn’t know how they could do it without his parents finding out. Draco, however, was not a future Slytherin (or so he presumed) for nothing. The next time he was invited to Pansy Parkinson’s house, he told his mother that Pansy’s parents would bring him back to the Manor after. Then, he told Pansy’s mother that one of his tutors was going to pick him up. After that, all Dora had to do was make herself look like a dour, drab, nondescript “tutor” and collect him from the Parkinson’s home several hours before his own parents would expect him to be back.

Dora decided that an easy first trip for Draco would be to take him to Muggle London (“there’s tons of people around, so no one will notice if we don’t quite fit in”). They could walk around for a while, have a bite to eat, and then spend some time at a library so that Draco could choose a few books of his own to borrow.

—

Once Harry had been enrolled in the local primary school, he and Remus settled into a routine fairly quickly. Remus worked in a Muggle shop, and he generally had to work several hours past when Harry’s school let out, so Harry became a regular at the library where they had met. There was an after-school program on some days where Harry could do crafts and things with other kids, but many days, he just curled up in the big pit of cushions he’d discovered on his first visit here to read.

He was doing just that one Tuesday almost a year after his grand escape, a plastic-bound comic book resting against his bent legs, when he heard a posh but hesitant voice above him say, “Excuse me, are you reading Batman?”

Looking up, Harry saw a tall, rather pointy looking boy with very blond hair and very pale skin looking down at him. The boy glanced over at an older girl standing nearby, and Harry, following his gaze, saw the girl give him a wide smile and a big thumbs up. Harry looked back at the boy, whose cheeks were now a bit pink. “Er, yeah,” Harry finally answered. The boy stood awkwardly for a moment, and Harry, unsure how to proceed, asked him, somewhat uncertainly, “Do you want to see?”

The boy looked relieved. “Yes, please.” He sat down next to Harry, folding his legs neatly and keeping his back very straight, but smiling shyly when he met Harry’s eyes. He held out his hand. “I’m Draco.”

Harry took his hand and, feeling very grown up, shook it. “Hello, Draco. I’m Harry. Harry Potter.”

Draco’s eyes went wide. “I’ve heard of you! You’re a wizard!” He sounded almost accusing.

“Er, yeah, but I only found out last year,” Harry said, feeling oddly embarrassed. “I always lived with normal— er, with Muggles before that.” Then he thought of something. “Wait, are you a wizard?”

“Yes.” Draco bit his lip. “But I like Muggle things a lot. I… don’t think it matters much, really, do you?” He looked a bit scared, like he was afraid he would get in trouble for saying so, but Harry just shrugged.

“Not so much. I think magic is brilliant, but I still like Muggle things, too. I like Batman because he doesn’t have any parents, just like me. And he fights crime and does all sorts of cool hero things, and he doesn’t even need magic.”

“I think it would be fun to be a hero,” Draco told him, whispering like it was a secret.

“Me too.” Harry smiled at him. “I’m at a really good bit. Do you want to share?”

Draco nodded, and Harry scooted the book over so that he could see it better. “Look, he’s just about to jump off this building and catch the bad guy!”

“Wicked,” Draco breathed, leaning in. Tilting their heads together, sleek blond hair against messy black, the two boys began to read.

The end.

[thebooktopus]

oh hai tumblr, it's been a while. I missed you all, and I'm going to try and be back now. needed a little break to do some life stuff but dontcha know I missed the heck outta yinz. ♥️

things i need to get my shit together for:

1) wheel of drarry fic for @makeitp1nk that is entirely written in my head and not even a little bit written on paper but that is TOMORROW'S problem

2) @hp-nextgen-fest ??? is this something you'd all like to see come back this year? thinking yes.

3) need to reblog and hype up a) my Erised fic b) my Erised gift c) all the other incredible Erised fics I've read so far

4) mutuals march v2 - dare I?!

anywaysss I hope you all had a tolerable December and are enjoying an excellent and refreshing start to 2023. here's to reconnecting with my community and writing again.

PS: I paid $8 for the blue checks so you all know I'm LEGIT.

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (10-16 Sep 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 'Til The End Of Time (fandomfluffandfuck) - 66k, stucky, basically PWP with stucky + pre-war bucky (due to multiverse/time slip shenanigans) [reread, fave, really quality filth 🥵]

😊 Rapidly Becoming (Ayes) - 67K, drarry, immediately post war, Draco goes missing & Harry inheirits Malfoy Manor - enjoyable, I'm always a sucker for a magical house story

😍 Ain't No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) Podfic (GhostCwtch, narrator; spitandvinegar, author) - 107K (14 hr podfic) - well done podfic of a forever fave post-WS recovery fic

🥰 A Fire at the Exhibition (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries #10) (T.E. Kinsey, author; Elizabeth Knowelden, narrator) - Emily & Flo contend with the village art exhibition, theft, murder, bicycle races and amateur treasure hunters. 🥰 The Uses of Adversity (MonstrousRegiment) - 65K, Dreamling, very entertaining canon-divergent AU where Hob accidentally becomes a criminal mastermind (sort of) and finds & rescues Dream in 1957

💖💖 +143K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

A Cornstalk Fiddle (notbecauseofvictories) - Devil Went Down to Georgia (Song): The Devil/Johnny, 32K - brilliant short story about what happened after - Johnny won once and he thinks he can do it again to get what he wants...

You've Got A Face With A View (Brenda) - Top Gun: Ice/Mav, 3K - it's 30 years into their relationship & Mav's still wild about his hotass husband and is going to tell and show him why and how.

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Maine Cabin Masters - s6, e2-8

Harley Quinn - s4, e10

Only Murders In The Building - s3, e7

Dirty Laundry - s3, e1

D20: Mentopolis - "Case Closed" (s1, e6)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Bit City USA" (s14, e6)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Re: Dracula - September 10: Make Yourself Strong

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Fenway Victory Gardens

Re: Dracula - September 11: Grim Purpose in All I Do

Today, Explained - Hunter becomes the hunted

Into It - Is Rotten Tomatoes…Rotten?

Re: Dracula - September 12: The Pain of the Fear of Sleep

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Jimmy Fallon And Strike Force Five

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Bridget Cleary

Vibe Check - Pumpkin Spice is Not My Ministry

Re: Dracula - September 13: All the Powers of the Devils

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center

⭐ 99% Invisible #552 - Blood in the Machine

⭐ Switched on Pop - Next Year in Margaritaville

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - The Atomic Clock

Dear Prudence - My Partner’s Relationship With His Ex Makes Me Feel Like the Third Wheel. Help!

Into It - The Backlash to Drew Barrymore

⭐ Endless Thread - Lofi Girl

Today, Explained - Blame Capitalism: Profit over everything

Welcome to Night Vale #234 - The Boy

⭐ Hit Parade - Insert Lyrics Here Edition

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

True Metal Warriors

'80s Metal

Ozzy Osbourne

Judas Priest

Jimmy Buffett

Presenting Nine Inch Nails

Lord Of The Lost

Peaceful Summer Night 🌃 Night Lofi Playlist 🌃 Deep Focus To Study/Work [ Lofi Hip Hop - Lofi Chill ]

Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar

Herb Alpert

[isamijoo]

Take Your Time.

Title: Take Your Time Author: Isami Pairing(s): Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Rating: T Word Count: 3000 Tags: Epilogue What Epilogue, Non-Canon Compliant. Post Battle of Hogwarts, Getting Together, Kissing, Wheel of Drarry Exchange Summary: Ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy owns a repair shop in Knockturn Alley. One day, Harry Potter comes with a job for him.

Written for @wolfpants for Round 1/2023 of Drarry Microfic Server's Wheel of Drarry Gift/Exchange! Thank you for being so kind and understanding! I ended up having more fun with this than I anticipated.

Thank you to @makeitp1nk for the beta!

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2023.12.17

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Imaginary Playground by @xx-thedarklord-xx [T, 1k]

►Draco owns the biggest toy store in Diagon Alley, and he makes all of the wooden toys himself. Business is good, but his favorite part of the day is when his favorite customer brings in their father, even if that father is Potter.

2. Sealed With A Kiss by @jtimu [T, 1k]

►This time, Pansy is up to something.

---

Fest/Exchange

1. A Christmas to Remember by Anonymous [M, 21k]

►Draco has never liked Christmas, and for good reason. Almost all of the memories he has of the winter holiday season are at best cold and lonely, and a worst wrought with fear and danger. Will this Christmas be marginally tolerable? Or is he in for another frigid, forgettable disaster? If Harry Potter has any say in the matter, it will be...a little bit of both? ★ Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

2. Clear Skies, Full Hearts by Anonymous [E, 16k]

►Harry loves everything about playing professional Quidditch – the rush of flying, the rush of winning, the rush of getting off with rival seeker Draco Malfoy. Harry’s the highest scoring rookie Seeker in the history of the League. He’s also, inexplicably, obsessively, hooking up with Draco. When Draco unexpectedly quits the League and disappears from Harry’s life, Harry doesn’t stop wondering what it all meant and if he’ll ever get another chance to find out. ★ H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

3. A Peacock in a Pear Tree by Jelliebabie [E, 10k]

►Every December, Voldemort sends the Order a Christmas Gift... ★ Dark Festivus Gift Exchange 2023 | @harrypotterfesthub

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2023.12.21

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Darkest Shadows by @xx-thedarklord-xx [M, 6k]

►Shadows. Shadows were everywhere. They followed Harry, whispered to him, promised him the world. All he had to do was use them, control them, guide them—become them. Harry became the shadows but also mastered them at the same time.

---

Fest/Exchange

1. A piacere by Anonymous [E, 2k]

►When cellist Harry can't keep up with the rest of the string quartet, Draco keeps him late for remedial practice ★ Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

2. Scheming Up by Anonymous [T, 2k]

►This whole situation could have been avoided if Potter had stayed in the safehouse, but perhaps this is for the better. ★ Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 | @drarrymicrofic

3. The Unplottable Time Conundrum by Anonymous [E, 45k]

►When the past starts bleeding into the present at Grimmauld Place, an old academic article pulls Draco Malfoy out of his life of luxury. Haunted by the memory of a fleeting post-war kiss and thrust into the ghostly spaces inhabited by Unspeakable Harry Potter, Draco’s easy life is about to get a whole lot more complicated. ★ H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

4. Wizards in Winter by @ourswordsmeandeath [G, 1k]

►During a wintery road trip through the States, Draco and Harry stumble across a two-storey house awash in Christmas lights. ★ HP Festival of Stars 2023 | @hpfestofstars​

[drarryspecificrecs]

HP/DRARRY Fic Fests 2023

★ Sources : potterfests, @hpfests & @lee-bella || as of 2024.02

—

JAN

Knot Another Writing Fest 2023 @hpknotfest : AO3

FEB

H/D Candy Hearts Fest 2023 @hdcandyheartsfest : AO3

HP Kinkuary 2023 @kinkuary : AO3

HP Shipuary 2023 @hpshipuary : AO3

HP Call Me Daddy Fest 2023 @call-me-daddy-fic-fest : AO3

Valentine’s Day Fic Exchange : AO3

MAR

HP Fruit Fest 2023 @hp-fruit-fest : AO3

Salt and Pepper Fest 2023 hp-goldenage@DW : AO3

Dronarry Fest 2023 @dronarryfest : AO3

APR

Draco Tops Harry Fest 2023 @dracotops-harry : AO3

HP Poetry Fest @hp-poetry-fest : AO3

HP Trans Fest 2023 @hptransfest : AO3

HP Triad!Fest 2022/23 Magical Creatures Edition @hptriadfest : AO3

MAY

Lights, Camera, Drarry Fest 2023 @lcdrarry : AO3

H/D Mpreg Fest 2023 @harrydracompreg : AO3

Basilisks & Staircases 2023 @gameofdrarry : AO3

JUN

HP Pride Fest 2023 @hppridefest2023 : AO3

HP Wedding Fest @hpweddingfest : AO3

JUL

H/D Wireless 2023 @hd-wireless : AO3

Drarry Disability Fest 2023 @drarrydisabilityfest : AO3

HP Cest Fest 2023 @hpcestfest : AO3

Harry James Potter Week 2023 @harryjamespotterweek : AO3

AUG

HP Bodice Ripper Fest 2023 @hp-bodiceripper : AO3

HP Law of Attraction Fest @hp-lawofattraction-fest : AO3

SEP

Drarry Let's Play 2023 @drarry-lets-play : AO3

Kill Your Darlings 2023 @hp-mcd-fest : AO3

HP Cottagecore Fest 2023 @hpcottagecorefest : AO3

HP Drizzle Fest 2023 @hpdrizzle : AO3

HP Soulmates Fest: Fated to Be @hp-soulmates : AO3

OCT

H/D Career Fair 2023 @hd-fan-fair : AO3

H/D Suds Lite 2023 @hdsudsfest​ : AO3

HP Dead Dove Fest 2023 @hpdeaddove : AO3

HP Kinktober 2023 @hpkinktober : AO3

HP Snooze Fest @hpsnooze : AO3

Pumpkin Spice Fic Fest 2023 @pumpkinspiceficfest : AO3

Unleashed! Fest 2023 @unleashed-fest : AO3

Discord Cultober Fics : AO3

NOV

Bite Me Delight Me Fest 2023 @bite-me-delight-me-hp-fest : AO3

Drarropoly '23: Here There Be Dragons @gameofdrarry : AO3

HP Socmed AU Fest : AO3

DEC

H/D Erised 2023 @hd-erised : AO3

H/D Owlpost Winter Fest 2023 @hdowlpost : AO3

25 Days of Draco and Harry 2023 @slythindor100 : AO3

Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange Secret Santa 2023 @drarrymicrofic : AO3

Dark Festivus Gift Exchange 2023 @harrypotterfesthub : AO3

HP Festival of Stars 2023 @hpfestofstars : AO3

HP Soulmates Secret Santa @hp-soulmates-secret-santa : AO3

HP Yuletide Bliss 2023 @hp-yuletide-bliss : AO3

Yuletide and Mulled Wine Fest 2023 @yuletide-and-mulled-wine : AO3

Fanatical Fam Fic Exchange 2023 : AO3

Frottage Cottage FFF : AO3

—

✔ previous year • next year ✔ other years

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2023.03.08

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Fated by @springairs [T, 4k]

►The last place Harry expects to find his soulmate is in Azkaban.

---

Fest/Exchange

1. About Damn Time by Anonymous [T, 4k]

►All Draco wants to do is eat his custard cup and nap in peace. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so, when the Flamel House for Experienced Wixen is overrun with Harry Potter and his idiot friends. ★ Salt and Pepper Fest 2023

2. Lacrima Mortis by @tink-wondering [T, 13k]

►Through history, Veelas have been hunted and almost decimated for one thing. A single thing that seems trivial and useless at first. A lone tear. Their last tear. Lacrima Mortis. Many advocated against the kills, yet it remains a potent potion ingredient. And now, though illegal, the hunt still perdures. ★ Wheel of Drarry Mini-Exchange | @drarrymicrofic

3. Rotten Luck: a Lesson in Slander and Self Control by enoby_w [T, 17k]

►Draco’s life might be ordinary, but he liked it that way. Maybe the flat he shared with Pansy was small and smelled terrible half the time, and maybe his job was tedious and boring, but at least he didn’t have to deal with Potter and his stupid pretty face. Pansy always told him that liking Potter was his worst quality. She wasn’t wrong, and after a chance encounter at the Ministry, it may have gotten Draco in way over his head. ★ HP Shipuary 2023 | @hpshipuary​