zeziliazink

[zeziliazink]

Fanfic Classics, batch 5 (Drarry, hot edition)

More Serious Literary Work Book Covers, with a heat theme. Endless days, outdoor soirées, warm spring rain, and hot sweat summer! Sun-drenched shoulders and cautious optimism! Or they just feel sort of lazy and flower-bloomy to me.

Grab a cold drink in a smooth glass before reading on the porch.

Poppiholla by @moonflower-rose

Beekeeping by khalulu

Wild (orphaned work)

Even the Night by @tackytigerfic

Of Wands and Trees by Omi_Ohmy

Pages of You by by @wolfpants

Timeshare by @astolat

Sweet Creature by bribitribbit (@whineosaur)

This Summer by Saras_Girl

Sun Stroke by @peachpety

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, explanation of what I mean by "classics." Art credits below.

In order:

"Summer Evening on the Porch," by Konstanin Korovin, 1922

"Abstract Painting" by Vanessa Bell, 1914

"Femme dans un jardin" by Frederick Carl Frieseke, 1912

"Accent on rose" by Wassily Kandinsky, 1926

"Landscape at Fontainebleau Forest," by Abbott Handerson Thayer, 1876

"The Artist's Letter Rack," by William Michael Harnett, 1879

"The Swan (No. 16)," by Hilma af Klint, 1914-1915

"Shepherd and Sheep at Vlaici," by Nicolae Darascu, 1912

"Promenade," by August Macke, 1913

"Etretat, Cliff of d`Aval, Sunset," by Claude Monet, 1885

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🥹

This is such a lovely, generous fic rec! @m0srael — I am blown away by how thoughtfully you read my work (commenting all along the way), noticed themes and details, and shared this with us. Some of the things you mentioned are my favorite bits too. Thanks for noticing! And thanks for this lovely community-uplifting series you’ve embarked upon, you are a gift to the fandom and a gem amongst the rocks. 😊💗

A series in which I ask my mutuals for fanwork recs, and then come back and tell you why I loved them. Any chance you have something to rec (the criteria are virtually non-existent)? Please, please send it on. Here is my original ask with more info.

I Was Recced:

As The Lights Lift Around Us by @zeziliazink [Drarry | M | 25.6k]

“What?” Draco said, finally looking Potter in the eye. Potter’s eyes were wide and green below his raised eyebrows. It must have been the lenses of his glasses sharpening the flecks of color in his irises, because they were almost shimmering in the light of the hundred-year old sconce on the brick wall behind Draco’s head, and oh fuck, he was still looking Potter in the eye, what the fuck, how was he supposed to get out of this, now?  In which our heroes become reacquainted in a pub, spend a whole day together that turns into night, and then...? Featuring a minor freakout (Draco), a brand new song (Harry), and affectionate exasperation (all of their friends). Will Draco figure his shit out before Harry gives up? Will Harry survive the Venomous Tentacula? Will Draco ever decide which tea he wants? Will Harry's HooTube commenters ever forgive him for falling in love?

As the Lights is a stark departure from last week's read: Open Fire by Slytherco. With tags like "musician!Harry", "flying teapots", "lots of blushing", and "lots of grinning", you might expect this fic to be super cute and fluffy--and you would be absolutely right! Zezilia gives us just enough angst in this Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers story to make the getting together feel genuine and believable without making us doubt for one second that these boys we love so much will end up happily together. Reading this story made me feel so warm and fuzzy that I inhaled it in a day, and I highly recommend you do so as well! In addition to the classic, very gay trope of the "24 hour date" and musician!Harry's smoldering good looks and endearing friendship with Luna (who fronts a band called Luna Lovegood and the Good Loves !!!!!), there are a couple of specific things I want to shout out about this story:

🐣 Draco Malfoy's Journey to Healing His Inner Child Is there another person, real or fictional, who needs to heal their inner child as much as Draco Malfoy?? Arguably Harry James Potter, but when we meet him in this fic he's well on his way. I love how Zezilia skillfully peppers in all these little but significant ways that Draco is trying--consciously and subconsciously--to re-parent himself and to replace all the vicious, unkind voices that have populated his head for so long. His mirror has the voice and personality of someone's doting grandmum, for goodness' sake! But beyond that, we get to witness Draco learning how to allow himself to be earnest, to openly enjoy the things he likes, and to be a little weird! It helps that he has two of the world's best friends, Sophie and Ravi (Zezilia's OCs), to encourage and support him. Honestly, I desperately want a Sophie. It's so gratifying to watch Draco not only love himself for who he really is, but learn that other people will love his true self, too.

🧙🏻‍♂️ The Wonder of the Wizarding World I adore the ways that Zezilia has woven the most magical parts of the wizarding world through this story. The way that they use magic to embellish scenes and complicate the characters lives is so delightful. Whether it's a particularly bawdy painting of a shepherd tending his flock (and other things), the most magical sounding café with Cheering Charm-infused pastries, or a magical park full of animated (and also bawdy!) statues, Zezilia doesn't hold back on the whimsy!

And a bonus: this fic is pro-Hot!Neville, and so am I. So very much.

If you read this (or have read it), let me know what you think!!

*

I Was Recced As The Lights Lift Around Us by @softlystarstruck, so I read:

morning light [victuuri | G | 1.8k]

A cozy winter morning, and a new term of endearment.

Okay, so technically speaking I have read everything Bee has ever written--much of it several times--which means this was a (blissful) re-read for me. I've gushed about my favorite stories Bee has written before (starlight (the unsuccessful return of a runaway prince), to be a bit of warmth (for you), you bring me home, their kinktober 2021 collection, for starters) but I have yet to really rec this one. Since most of my mutuals will be familiar with the way Bee writes our favorite boys, Draco and Harry, I am here to implore you to dig into their Yuri!!! on Ice fics on AO3, even if you aren't familiar with the source material!

Bee takes all the tenderness, care, and intimacy which which they write their Drarry stories and carefully molds it to fit these two lovely, anxious men. What I love most about Bee's writing is that they are able to gently pick up two characters, see right to the heart of them, and then translate all their deepest desires and fears right onto the page in beautiful prose (and sometimes verse!). This means that while morning light feels undeniably "Bee" in its tone, pacing, and use of endearments, the relationship between Viktor and Yuuri is unique and so true to their characters. Viktor (off-screen) is bold and confident and commanding, while Yuuri (everywhere, all the time) is anxious, self-effacing, and unsure. In this close, intimate moment Bee manages to capture all of their facets, allows them to let their guards down, and helps them to grow even closer to one another. This fic is warm, quiet, blushy, and so, so lovely!

Thanks for sending me a recommendation!

[zeziliazink]

I am LIVING for how many Stranger Things fics have our young Indiana heroes casually prepping beans on toast and/or putting on the kettle. I LOVE IT. Not a Froot Loop or store-brand Poptart in sight, just the last can of beans and slabs of butter on the bread.

I know some Brits feel annoyed about Americans writing HP/Sherlock/Who/etc and getting the details wrong but I can tell y’all my midwestern ass is just really delighted by all the beans

[zeziliazink]

’Tis the season.

Fanfic Classics, batch 3 (Drarry, spooky edition)

More Serious Literary Work Book Covers I made to prettify my Kindle collection, with a spooky theme. Eerie atmospheres! Ghosts, witches & vampires! Creepy sounds in the night!

The Last of What the World Left You by @xanthippe74

Changeling by Obscurus343 (@the-crooked-library)

Shock, Shock, Horror, Horror by @maesterchill and @timothysboxers

Catch Me Before You Fall by @lqtraintracks

In Our Blood by @secretsalex-blog

Saltwater Stain by @thestarryknight

The Unquiet Grave by @magpiefngrl

Midnight in the City of a Hundred Spires by @shiftylinguini

You See Through My Disguise by @aibidil

Sex in Trees for Beginners by @phd-mama

Part 1, 2, explanation of what I mean by "classics." Art credits below!

In order:

"Crow on a branch" by Ohara Koson, 1910

"Twilight. A Castle" by Isaac Levitan, 1898

"Electric lamp" by Natalia Goncharova, 1913

"Suprematism with Eight Red Rectangles" by Kazimir Malevich, 1915

"Haunted House" by Thomas Moran, 1858

"Storm at Sea on a Moonlit Night" by Ivan Aivazovsky, before 1900

"Mountain Graveyard" by Kurt Schwitters, 1919

"Night View of Prague" by Jacob Johann Verreyt, before 1872

"The Prisoner" by Nikolai Yaroshenko, 1878

Detail of "Fabelwesen" from Biderbuch für Kinder by Friedrich Justin Bertuch, 1801

I don't know why sometimes I can't tag people even though I can see a tumblr for them. Apologies if I missed you!

[zeziliazink]

✩ softly reading: may ✩

welcome to softly reading, in which i list every single drarry fic i’ve read this month in hopes that you, dear reader, find a fic you like too!

✩ - a fave | 🔥 - hot | 🌼 - gentle read

longer reads

✩ As the Lights Lift Around Us by @zeziliazink [M, 25k] 🌼

In which our heroes become reacquainted in a pub, spend a whole day together that turns into night, and then...? Featuring a minor freakout (Draco), a brand new song (Harry), and affectionate exasperation (all of their friends). Will Draco figure his shit out before Harry gives up? Will Harry survive the Venomous Tentacula? Will Draco ever decide which tea he wants? Will Harry's HooTube commenters ever forgive him for falling in love? Recced to me by @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm

Vale Sanare by RurouniHime [M, 23k]

Draco’s world gains a new component just when he thought he’d sorted everything out.

be my breath (through the deep, deep water) by GammaRey [M, 13k]

Draco just wanted to make it through his eighth year. Having Harry Potter as his potions partner was complicated enough, but when their potion decides it has its own agenda, his life only gets deeper in the weeds.

✩ facedown on my bed (thinking of you) by @onbeinganangel [M, 10k] 🌼

Sometimes the feelings you have for your enemy-turned-roommate-turned-bff are not as platonic as you think. Sometimes you're the last person to realise it.

Home County by orphan account [G, 10k] 🌼

Harry is an architect and the reluctant part-owner of his own firm. Malfoy works at The Ministry but doesn’t actually have a proper job title even though what he does sounds as though it’s pretty important. It would probably be harder not to become friends, when they have to sit through endless, dull meetings with each other, and skirt around some truly terrible weather, and deal with Harry’s irrational hatred of his assistant, and build thirty whole houses from the ground up in a wet field outside of London.

short & sweet (< 10k)

Just a trial run by @tenthousandyearsx [E, 9.1k] 🔥

In which Harry wants to get into sex work and Draco would prefer to keep him for himself.

In the Ways That Matter by FleetofShippyShips [T, 9k]

Falling asleep with Harry Potter mid-argument, while completely pissed, was something Draco could never have predicted happening when he returned for his repeat seventh-year at Hogwarts. But it happened. And then it happened again. And again. At some point the alcohol was gone, and they were just falling asleep side by side night after night, escaping nightmares together. It isn't anything more than that, even if sometimes it really feels like it is. [H/D Consent Fest 2018]

Making a Politician Shut Up: A Lover’s Guide by Lokifan [E, 7.5k] 🔥

Draco is the youngest member of the Wizengamot; being a politician has not made him less likely to run his mouth. Harry would just like one damn shag - evening - without Draco running his mouth.

✩ Not Nineteen Forever by @sorrybutblog [E, 5.9k] 🔥

A rogue charm hits on a mission and suddenly, Draco is nineteen again. Harry is still thirty-five and doing his best to look after his de-aged Auror partner (and forget about his long unrequited crush) until St. Mungo’s can brew the antidote. Only, Draco insists on wandering around Harry’s flat wearing nothing but Harry’s pants, flirting like his life depends on it and in the end, Harry’s only human after all.

✩ Of Mirrors, Myths, and Men by @the-starryknight [E, 5.4k] 🔥

After years of renovations on the Manor, Draco has one room left: the Ballroom. Harry Potter’s repair skills come highly recommended. But from the moment Potter stepped foot in the Manor, something burned between them, far more compelling than Draco could have ever anticipated. [H/D Remix 2021]

Only the sun (only the sun) by @sky-is-torn [G, 4.2k]

A terrible curse was placed on Prince Draco when he was still in his crib. Anyone unworthy who touches him will die instantly. On his twentieth birthday, he sets out after the sorcerer who cursed him... but fate has other plans for him.

✩ The Room by loverloverlover [T, 3.4k] 🌼

It’s eighth year, and Harry and Draco are spending hours together in the Room of Requirement. What will happen when they decide to make amends? Tap-tap-tap-tap. A story told in five parts.

Hung Parliament by Lokifan [E, 1.7k] 🔥

Politics make Harry want to smack someone. Luckily, he has Draco there to be smacked.

✩ Midnight Madness by @novembersnowflake [T, 1.6k]

"You're drunk," Harry said. / The corner of Malfoy's mouth curled wryly. "Just enough to make me brave."

✩ Baby, make me a new blank page by @achillesangst [E, 917 words] 🔥🏳️‍⚧️

After the war, Harry wants to let go. Draco craves control. It works, messily.

art gallery

✩ revealing history by @t4tdrarry [G] 🌼🏳️‍⚧️

an exploration of harry potter and draco malfoy's scars. [HP Trans Fest 2022]

previous softly reading lists

[zeziliazink]

In addition to this truly fantastic list from Liv, I'd like to humbly add a not-too-plotty, really sweet, falling-in-love fic of mine for this ask from @aziliero-scorzalisk:

As the Lights Lift Around Us by @zeziliazink (2019, M, 25k)

In which our heroes become reacquainted in a pub, spend a whole day together that turns into night, and then...? Featuring a minor freakout (Draco), a brand new song (Harry), and affectionate exasperation (all of their friends). Will Draco figure his shit out before Harry gives up? Will Harry survive the Venomous Tentacula? Will Draco ever decide which tea he wants? Will Harry's HooTube commenters ever forgive him for falling in love?

hey! can you rec me some drarry falling in love fics? not super plotty, really sweet, fluffy fics please! don't care how long. preferrably 3rd person POV

Hi there! Absolutely, I highly recommend the ones below:

Secretly, between the shadow and the soul by @teacup-tai (2021, T, 3k)

The thing about surrender is that once you accept the unavoidable rhythm of change, the surprising uncontrollability of life, and the astonishing inevitability of feelings, it is easy.

Market Saturdays by @sorrybutblog (2021, M, 3.2k)

In which Harry is an accidental part-time cheesemonger, Draco is an organic farmer and they fall in love. Not an AU.

The Long Fall by @tackytigerfic (2021, M, 3.6k)

It's supposed to be a simple house renovation, and maybe it's just the paint fumes, but Harry is feeling dizzy around Draco Malfoy. And what's the real meaning of family, anyway?

He Whose Hand and Eye Are Gentle by khalulu (2017, G, 5k)

Draco reads poems and sometimes writes them. Harry receives poems and sometimes reads them. Rutherford delivers poems via the scenic route. Wombat snores. Eventually, all comes together, with help from the foxes in red bibs and the sumo referee.

Mise en Place by @corvuscrowned (2021, T, 5k)

Draco needs to learn how to cook, and luckily, Harry knows his way around a kitchen. The fact that Draco is using his newfound cooking skills to impress another man... Well, Harry just tries not to think about that too much.

Proof of the Pudding by daisymondays (2017, T, 10k)

When Greg's bakery opens on Diagon Alley, Draco doesn’t expect it to the place he ends up finding love, but then again Harry Potter has always defied Draco's expectations.

the way you make me glow by @softlystarstruck (2022, M, 11k)

In a cottage next to the sea, love blossoms. Or perhaps it’s been there all along.

Poppiholla by @moonflower-rose (2021, M, 12k)

Harry had accepted that he would pine silently for Malfoy forever, but one, humid summer might change that.

Bridges by @cavendishbutterfly (2021, E, 16k)

Harry and Draco are on a trip to Budapest to help with Kingsley's re-election, but that's the boring bit. More interesting: Harry Potter is changing his Tinder preferences to include men.

An Improbable Bout of Summer Madness by @ghaniblue (2021, E, 16k)

Draco had planned a quiet, peaceful summer holiday with his son. The last thing he expected was to find Potter here, in Draco's little Cornish retreat. Making fudge in a shop? The idea was too ludicrous for words.

It's Friday (I'm in Love) by @punk-rock-yuppie (2018, E, 16k)

At first, Draco only hangs out with them on Fridays after work; then he starts shagging Potter after pub nights. Then all the rest of the gang tries to befriend Draco and even worse, Potter tries to date him. It’s an absolute disaster, if you ask Draco.

Take These Lies by @pennygalleon (2021, E, 19k)

There’s a portrait of his godfather in Draco Malfoy’s potions shop and Harry needs to know why. But that’s not why he keeps coming back.

amid this warm and steady sweetness by warmfoothills (2019, E, 21k)

Harry is not living in a period drama, no matter what his friends or his new house or Malfoy’s sudden affinity for horse-riding might suggest, and if one more person uses the word courting, he’s going to start hexing people.

Nice Things by aideomai (2020, M, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

With Great Yawns and Stretchings by sugar_screw (2016, T, 22k)

The coffee is very good. Really. And the cats are so cute. That's why Harry goes so often.

Safe As Houses by @xanthippe74 (2021, T, 24k)

After five years abroad, Harry’s thrilled to be home and working at the most prestigious ward-building firm in Britain. But everything gets turned upside down when he's assigned to work for Draco Malfoy—who somehow grew up to be just the sort of sexy bastard Harry goes for.

Seeker, Chaser, Keeper by VivacissimoVoce (2013, M, 59k)

Rumor has it that a wealthy investor is starting up a brand new professional Quidditch team and he’s looking for players. Harry and Draco both want to make the team, but there can be only one Seeker.

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop (2014, E, 70k)

It's Potter's fault, of course, that Draco finds himself trapped in the same twenty-four-hour period, repeating itself over and over again.

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead) by nerakrose and dustmouth (2018, M, 96k)

Malfoy is way too interested in coroner reports for somebody who's definitely not looking for ways to die, Harry wants to be friends with him, and Ginny wants to break up with Harry.

The Liars Department by @dorthyanndrarry (2020, T, 103k)

This is a story about Harry meeting up with Draco Malfoy four years after the war. And a story about Harry, well, not hating his job per say, but it's not like he has much to compare it to and it seemed fine. His whole life seemed fine.

[zeziliazink]

In the spirit of assuming fic readers are the type of people who will find this endearing instead of awkward, I just replied to some AO3 comments that were 736 days old. 🙌

[zeziliazink]

Fanfic Classics, batch 4 (Drarry, cold edition)

More Serious Literary Work Book Covers, with a cold theme. Snow, ice, cold rain, and winter! Bleak landscapes & existential melancholy! Or they just sort of feel shivery and long-cold-night to me.

Put on warm socks before reading.

Among Ancient Pines by Theartfulldodger (@graymatters)

Crown Witness by @slytherco

warmest part of the winter by warmfoothills

Polar Night by hereticalvision

As Souls From Bodies Steal by Femme (@femmequixotic)

Us, in Lieu by @tepre

Heartlines by @shiftylinguini

The Light More Beautiful by @firethesound

Helix by Saras_girl

Trenches by sara_holmes

Part 1, 2, 3, explanation of what I mean by "classics." Art credits below.

In order:

"Forest in Hoarfrost" by Ivan Shishkin, before 1898

Detail of "Self-Portrait with Cigarette" by Henri-Edmond Cross, 1880

"The messenger of autumn" by Paul Klee, 1922

"They like winter in New York State" (WPA Poster), between 1936-1941

"Melting Snow. Fontainbleau" by Paul Cezanne, 1880

"Piano Keys Lake" by Frantisek Kupka, 1905

"Plate 101: Raven" by John James Audubon, before 1851

"Futurist Composition" by Joseph Stella, 1914

Illustration from "Meditationes emblematicae de restaurata pace Germaniae" by Johann Vogel, 1649

Detail of "The Searchlights" by Henri Meunier, 1917

[zeziliazink]

Fanfic Classics, batch 3 (Drarry, spooky edition)

More Serious Literary Work Book Covers I made to prettify my Kindle collection, with a spooky theme. Eerie atmospheres! Ghosts, witches & vampires! Creepy sounds in the night!

The Last of What the World Left You by @xanthippe74

Changeling by Obscurus343 (@the-crooked-library)

Shock, Shock, Horror, Horror by @maesterchill and @timothysboxers

Catch Me Before You Fall by @lqtraintracks

In Our Blood by @secretsalex-blog

Saltwater Stain by @thestarryknight

The Unquiet Grave by @magpiefngrl

Midnight in the City of a Hundred Spires by @shiftylinguini

You See Through My Disguise by @aibidil

Sex in Trees for Beginners by @phd-mama

Part 1, 2, explanation of what I mean by "classics." Art credits below!

In order:

"Crow on a branch" by Ohara Koson, 1910

"Twilight. A Castle" by Isaac Levitan, 1898

"Electric lamp" by Natalia Goncharova, 1913

"Suprematism with Eight Red Rectangles" by Kazimir Malevich, 1915

"Haunted House" by Thomas Moran, 1858

"Storm at Sea on a Moonlit Night" by Ivan Aivazovsky, before 1900

"Mountain Graveyard" by Kurt Schwitters, 1919

"Night View of Prague" by Jacob Johann Verreyt, before 1872

"The Prisoner" by Nikolai Yaroshenko, 1878

Detail of "Fabelwesen" from Biderbuch für Kinder by Friedrich Justin Bertuch, 1801

I don't know why sometimes I can't tag people even though I can see a tumblr for them. Apologies if I missed you!

[zeziliazink]

What do you love about Drarry?

This ask has been sitting in my inbox (and wriggling around in my brain) for some months. Others have answered it, very eloquently, and I didn’t know that I had more to say. But I do. Thanks for asking.

I love Drarry because of how completely, and how instantly, the characters transcended their original narratives. How the community finished reading Deathly Hallows in July 2007, said “hmm,” closed the book, and promptly started tagging fanworks with EWE (Epilogue, What Epilogue?).

Because we all saw that epilogue for what it was: the kind of future that we might imagine for ourselves in grade school, doodling the name of our cutest classmate in our notebook and making up names for our kids. Or the kind of future some parents would write for us, where we marry their friends’ children and never leave our hometown and never disappoint or surprise our elders.

But my hunch is that most of us, here in this space, have lived lives where we scrapped our own pre-written epilogues.

Whatever that has looked like for each of us — whether we came out, or got divorced, or left our religions, or had the baby too soon, or never had the babies, or have climbed mental health mountains, or picked a path less pristine — we chose different things to believe in.

I’ll be honest: I rarely return to the books that started it all. By now I know them enough. They live a bit in the same mental spaces as my own childhood. I love my childhood because I desperately love the smaller version of me who had so much to figure out! She was trying so hard and learning so much. But I don’t spend undue time reliving the particular traumas that got me here.

And most of the guides I trusted back then, who tried to shape me into a particular ideal of what my future should be? I have left them behind. It’s complicated. I could feel bad that their investment in me did not pan out the way they hoped, but I don’t owe them who I am becoming.

Likewise, I love these kids that went to magic wizard school and went through unspeakable horror, often at the explicit maneuvering and brainwashing of their elders. I observe the ways in which they were manipulated and shaped to have certain futures.

And then I free them from their author. I let them grow up to be something different. The child I was recognizes the child they were, and then together we agree to go forward to messier, wider, more true stories.

I think this is why I can keep reading & writing Drarry even as their original author spirals into hateful existence. To me it’s like the “okay, well then, I’m your mom now” response to a disowned trans kid or a pregnant sixteen-year-old.

We collectively see these (fucked up, and for good reason) characters and say, “okay! Well then, we’re your authors now. Get in. We've got places to go."

💗

[zeziliazink]

Really just the loveliest, most wonderfully handcrafted thing. Love this project. A+, 5 stars, heaps of accolades to @queercore-curriculum .

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered in its rightful place beside other Drarry greats: selected works of warmfoothills/ @forestgreenlesbian, Running on Air by eleventy7/ @tinyhistory, and Modern Love by @tackytigerfic. Couldn’t be prouder of my growing fanfic library :)

[zeziliazink]

Oh how nice. Thank you for noticing, @the-starryknight . Honored to be in such amazing company!

💗

twelve favorite drarry fic reccers

these are some of the lovely folks who have introduced me to fics that broke my heart, took me on vast emotional journeys, and made me laugh my butt off.  each of these reccers have different ways of presenting insightful (and often humorous) commentary, pointing out all the best bits of fic, and reminding me of all the lovely reasons I’m in this fandom. here’s a shout out and a thank you to these brilliant rec’cers! please thank your faves in the comments too <3 

@sitp-recs - Witty, thoughtful, and oh-so-carefully worded, each of Liv’s recs brings out the best in the fics described. Each time I see a new post, it’s a must-read! Liv creates such a kind and affirming environment that feels so special. Her themed weeks have left me utterly weak, going back to the masterlists over and over whenever I need a new suggestion.

@eat-yearn-cry - From when I saw the first four masterlists floating around to the absolutely fantastic posts now, I feel so lucky we get eat-yearn-cry’s suggestions! Each of her recs is brilliant and informed, hilarious and sometimes sarcastic, and so clearly her. It’s an absolute joy to hear these thoughts, it always sends me straight to whatever fic she’s poured her heart out about.

@dewitty1 - Dewitty has such excellent taste in fics, and always picks the best excerpts to share to get my interest piqued.  I love seeing her masterlists across my dash and getting to see both fics i’ve read and loved and ones I know I must check out based on her opinion.

@thedrarrylibrarian - The ex-library worker and lover of organizing in me absolutely swoons at this blog full of gorgeously-tagged posts. I can see how much work is put into curating an excellent repository of fic, and gosh do I love it!  I’m so looking forward to more of the Happy Hour series.

@drarryspecificrecs - Truly, I do not know how this blog manages everything, from fest recaps to daily recs, to answering endless questions and searching for fics. I remain in awe daily at the amount of excellent and beautifully organized content this incredible blog shares with us.

@dragontamerdame - Though I know Ash is no longer doing recs (and looking at their art, I cannot complain, what a beautiful application of their skill!) I still find myself revisiting some of their old lists because they are so well put together and so detailed, each one feels unbelievably comprehensive.

@dictacontrion - I’ve been a fan of Dicta’s writing almost as long as I’ve read drarry fic, and I came onto tumblr this year to find a vast trove of daily excerpts and longer fic rec masterposts.  Each and every rec is truly a treasure!

@hogwartsfirebolt - I absolutely adore HogwartsFirebolt’s Netfics rec list, not only because it features some of my favorite fics, but what a brilliant way of sharing the fic love? While the taste in fics alone is impeccable, I loved the way this is put together – I wish I could open up Netfics rn and dive into some of these shared faves!

@onbeinganangel - Not only does Marion share her beautiful embroidery with us, but she has chosen to use it to recommend fics! From the soft cotton of her What We Do In the Shadows rec to the threads of the others, they always make me run straight to ao3, and the fic recs are never amiss.

@zeziliazink - Zezilia's ‘fandom classics’ series, part 1 and part 2, genuinely feel like penguin classics I could pull right off the shelf, plus they’re full of utterly stellar drarry fics! I love how Zezilia has applied an excellent definition of ‘classic’ here and I wish I had a shelf full of fics like this.

@rockmarina - I’ve found myself cackling over Rockmarina’s meme fic recs on more than one occasion, enjoying them for both the funny and the intensely dramatic fics. They immediately make me want to open ao3 because they are always, without fail, an absolute joy.

@queercore-curriculum​ - I’m not sure if Queercore would be considered a fic reccer, but each time I see one of the gorgeous, gorgeous binds on my dash, I have two overwhelming thoughts: 1) oh my god, wow, look at that (and that, and that, and that, as I scroll through each stunning image) and 2) I must read this fic right away if someone has spent so much time binding it. We are so lucky to get to see Queercore’s craft!

[zeziliazink]

Fanfic Classics, batch 2 (Drarry)

More Serious Literary Work Book Covers I made to prettify my Kindle collection.

Clouds that Veil the Midnight Moon by FeelsForBreakfast @drarrytrash

Kill, Fuck, Marry by @lettersbyelise

Naked by @bixgirl1

Stately Homes of Wiltshire by @waspabi

Ynys Afallach (I Will Give My Love an Apple) by @femmequixotic​ & @noeeon

The Venice Job by nishizono

Talk to Me by Saras_Girl

In the Hand by aideomai

The Way Down by @letteredlettered

And One to Play by @tackytigerfic

Part 1 is here. Explanation of what I mean by “classics” here. Art credits below!

In order:

"Moonlit Landscape" by John Moore of Ipswich, between 1850–1902

"Entwurf Zum Wandbild Farbentanz (Design for the Colorful Dance Mural)" by Enrst Ludwig Kirchner, 1927

"Study for 'Morning Splendor'" by Henry Scott Tuke, 1921

"The Great Hall" photograph of Longleat House, Wiltshire, from "In English Homes," 1904

"APPLE and BLOSSOM (Malus sylvestris Mill.)" by Mary E. Eaton, before 1917

"Palazzo Dario, Venice" by Claude Monet, 1908

"Study of hands" by Albrecht Dürer, 1506

"Kleine Welten V (Small Worlds V)" by Wassily Kandinsky, 1922

Detail of "Hribček (Holm, Ajda)" by Ivan Grohar, 1910

"Heavy storm with lightning, thunder, heavy rain and floods" by Erasmus Francisci, 1680

[zeziliazink]

Safe and Home

A Drarry board book. 

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Thump! Thump! Thump! went Harry’s heart when green-fire dreams tore sleep apart. “Sweetheart,” said Draco, “it’s alright, breathe in, and out and in and out again —

“I’m here, we’re here together, see? I know you, and you know me, and we are safe and home.”

A few days later, afternoon, Draco got lost in thoughts of a room full of fire, fear, smoke, and death — “I’ve got you, love, now take a breath,

“I’m here,” said Harry. “The war is through. You know me, and I know you, and we are safe and home.” 

Their house, glad to be a place where boys felt brave in her embrace, warmed her rooms, kept windows bright — with daytime sun, with stars all night — and kept them safe and home.

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Prompt: “Storybook.” In honor of my toddler, who demands to be read many, many books.

Art restrictions: one color (plus b&w)

[zeziliazink]

I LOVE this trend of reinterpreting classic paintings. This one’s splendid. 💚

Gossip

(if it seems as though they’re talking about you, it’s because they probably are)

an interpretation of the original illustration by Henry Raleigh - Everything about it just screams draco & pansy to me so I had to draw my own version‬!

click the image for higher quality

[zeziliazink]

Messages

A Drarry drabble. Also on AO3 here. 

Harry took a sip of the drink in his hand and grimaced. It was a syrupy mess of a thing — shimmery, purple-pink viscous liquid, swirling in a crystalline cordial glass that caught the lights from the dance floor and refracted a million tiny rainbows onto the surface of his fingers. The cocktail tasted like a cloaking spell disguising a rotten apple. Or Umbridge, smiling at him from across her desk.

The Dreaming Pixie was packed for a Wednesday night. Out on the floor, witches and wizards were glassy-eyed and writhing, dancing to an electronic remix of a bubblegum pop song. A time-extended glitter fog charm filled the air with sparkles and the scent of cotton candy. Harry suspected the mist also released micro-doses of Euphoria potion, but they’d never been able to prove it.

When the song ended and the next began, Harry pushed aside the cloying taste in his mouth and focused his gaze toward the stage lighting.

Pale green fairy lights flashed, four times.

Yaxley.

Peach and yellow in alternating flickers.

Lestrange.

The center main spotlights fanned downward, bathing the laughing, sweaty bodies in cool blue and purple. Harry’s pulse quickened.

The North House. Tomorrow afternoon. The shipment will be there.

Harry tilted his head to the right and stretched his left shoulder. Since the last raid, he’d been shaking off the remnants of a nasty stinging hex.

With the chorus, the lights turned green again, swirling like Catherine wheels in the sparkling air.

Live cargo. Take extra backup.

A dual flash of all the lights at once signaled the message’s end. Harry pushed off the wall and headed for the door at the back of the club. As he passed near the bar, he glanced over to see Draco Malfoy serving a glowing shimmer-shot to a giggling witch.

Harry gave him a curt nod.

“Piss off, Potter,” Malfoy hollered over the pulsing beat.

I love you. Be safe.

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https://archiveofourown.org/works/23826919

Prompt: “The less I know, the better.”

[zeziliazink]

Hi Zezilia! I just wanted to let you know that I think about Luna Lovegood and the Good Love about once a week and would love to listen to their music 💕

Ahhh, I LOVE that you remembered that detail and that you still think about it!!!! 

After I wrote that into the fic, I was mad at 1) how stupidly good of a band name it is, and 2) how it’s not real and I’ll never get to hear Luna’s ethereal vocals and see her drummer’s use of hovering plimpies. TRAGIC.

(Fic referenced is “As the Lights Lift Around Us,” https://archiveofourown.org/works/19976566″)

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