Drarry? Always

Pausing my RWRB reading (I have an ask about firstprince fics too and I’m working on it!) to answer this, which is the nudge I’ve needed. I’ve done this for Dramione before (under 5k), but I especially love tempting readers to Drarry. 

Short works are the unsung heroes of fandom. They don’t get enough love, which makes me so sad, because you definitely don’t always need 100k to deliver a stunning story. These are your bedtime stories, your palate cleansers, your individual serving sizes of serotonin. It’s okay to enjoy these even if you only read slow burn 100k+ fics, I promise. Live a little! 

This is a sampling of some amazing favorites, but I’m always reading new things and will add to it regularly. If you find something you love, I know the author would love to hear it, and so would I! Take a deep dive into their work to find other gems. 

Here's Part One and Part Two if you missed them.

Bite-Size Drarry - Under 10k (Part Three) below:

A late birthday microfic, written for the wonderful @getawayfox (look, it balances out @wolfpants' gift which was a couple of weeks early, alright? That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.) Happy happy birthday to fandom's loveliest quadruple threat (writer, artist, reccer, beta/cheerreader). I hope you had a brilliant day! <3

T, 1.8k, no warnings. @drarrymicrofic prompt Simple. Thanks to @tackytigerfic for Irish picking and usual brilliance. This one is also for everyone else who hates night shifts!

Another night shift at the Ministry security desk. If boredom doesn’t get you, the vampires probably will, Draco thinks, sourly. That’s at least half exaggeration, though: Sanguini and his colleagues are always impeccably behaved, hurrying between meetings with barely a glint of incisor on show. But the boredom: now that part’s no joke. Nothing much happens in the Ministry after hours – by midnight, even the most dedicated workaholics have reluctantly ducked into the Floo, leaving Draco to his books, or his fantasy Quidditch, or (briefly and unsuccessfully) his crochet. Sometimes he gets lucky – a disaster necessitating the presence of the on-call Mishaps and Maladies team at the Ministry, perhaps, or an international visitor who’s messed up the time difference – but for the most part it’s lonely work.

Every night, Draco watches as two of the house elves work their slow, methodical way across the Atrium floor from either end, mopping and polishing and casting anti-slip charms until they meet just in front of his desk, some time around five o’clock. Things always get better after that, with the sun rising in the charmed windows and the slow downhill slide until six-thirty, that blessed hour when Draco mumbles his greetings to the day staff, pulling the hood of his robes up to cover his tired eyes, and slopes off towards the Floos.

Midnight until five, then, that’s the difficult time. That’s the hungry but nauseous time, the clammy but shivery time, the grumpy, gloomy, desperately weary time. Helpfully, it’s often the time the morons from the DMLE show up, high on adrenaline and testosterone and god knows what department-approved stimulants, and often, inexplicably, looking to chat utter rubbish.

Edge Of All We’ve Ever Known

written for @phd-mama for being an amazing friend

Harry abandoned the sheltering warmth of the small cottage he’d rented, tucking his chin into his coat and lifting the collar against the frigid wind roaring in off the ocean. Leaden clouds maintained their dreary vigil, the looming cliffs bellicose guardians of a dismal coastline shrouded in fog and mist. The mournful wail of an invisible ferry’s horn dissolved into the answering baritone from a distant foghorn, an apt reflection of the weight Harry carried in his heart. 

He’d arrived two nights prior, the train depositing him at an empty station. The note from the caretaker left clear instructions on where to find the key, and the bare minimum of pantry supplies had been made available to sustain him until he could find the shops. He’d managed with a tin of soup the first night before falling exhausted into a surprisingly comfortable bed. After a breakfast of eggs and toast, he’d spent the second day sorting his belongings and settling into what would be his home for the next month. Toasted cheese sufficed for dinner, wiping out the last of the bread.  After scraping together a meager breakfast from the last of the eggs, he’d had no choice but to brave the elements if he didn’t want to starve. 

Turning into the wind, Harry ducked his head and and pressed on, hopeful of finding anything open in the sleepy seaside town. A wooden signboard flapped in the wind over a shop door, the faint aroma of baked cinnamon and coffee whisking past him on another errant gust of wind. Bracing one hand against the frame, he tugged the door open and staggered into the comforting warmth of the bakery, his glasses immediately fogging over. 

For a bakery it was, the display case laden with biscuits, breads, and pastries, while an espresso machine hummed on the back counter, mostly obscured by the lithe man standing in front of it brewing a cup. His every movement was practiced and graceful, his slender hands moving with assurance through the steps of crafting the drink, likely for the young woman who waited at the register. Harry watched with rapt admiration while he wiped his glasses, a sense of familiarity plucking at the edges of his consciousness. It was only when he returned them to his face and the man turned around that the familiarity took on meaning. 

“Draco,” Harry whispered to himself, mindful that he stood in what appeared to be a Muggle shop, and uncertain how Draco came to be employed there. 

Hi. Shush. I don't even do recs. Shut up. Yeah, I know. Read this one, though.

It should be illegal for someone's first fic on AO3 to be this good.

Workplace flirting via Shakespeare fridge magnets. Drarry, M, 1k.

by @tackytigerfic (Mature, 15K)

Harry Potter has always wanted a family of his own, and when a deadly blood curse forces him into a marriage bond with his best friend Draco Malfoy, it looks like he might just have found one. Living with Draco (biscuit-lover, no work/life balance, good hair) and his son Scorpius (also biscuit-lover, colour-codes his bricks, proud bearer of plastic swan-shaped garden ornament) gives Harry the routine and companionship he’s always craved. There’s also the matter of the really great sex (because what’s a marriage of convenience without a little fun, after all?) It's just a shame they’d always planned to break up after a year…

📻 love is just a shout in the void 

🎵 Mature, 4,489 ❗ Warnings/Tags: Muggle Technology, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Flirting, Sexting, Texting, First Kiss, Angst and Humor, Drunkenness, Implied Sexual Context, Sassy Harry Potter, Down and About Draco 🎵 Song Prompt: i’m in love with u, sorry by j'san 

🎵 Summary 

Draco accidentally texts Potter his biggest secret and he’s pretty sure the Chosen Prat isn’t ready to hear anything close to it. So he pretends he didn’t mean to. But the problem is: Potter is still as infuriating as ever, if not more than he was before.

Happiest of birthdays to the one and only Crow! I won’t be tagging them since they’re currently on hiatus but this was a great excuse to finally do a (much) belated reclist. Crow has been on my radar since I first read The Other Cottage - I was immediately taken aback by its intriguing atmosphere, original plot and the mindblowing ending that had me gasping in delight. You can bet I did my due diligence and quickly devoured everything else from their catalogue, which was how I realized I had found another favorite to hold close to my heart.

Crow explores the themes that fascinate me the most - life, time and mortality - and even their dark fics (a genre I don’t normally indulge) feel so thought-provoking and cathartic. There’s no best feeling that knowing you can trust that one author to tick all your boxes with every fic, no matter the story, trope or ending they go for. Crow has written a little bit of everything (and I tried my best to include different flavours here) but I’m not gonna lie, their poignant and aching angst is my ultimate jam. Some of these fics changed me in deep and lasting ways, and I’ve talked extensively about one or two of them. It was so hard to keep this short and not highlight all of Crow’s 27 works, but here are my top 10 favorites. As always this is a 100% personal rec list but there’s a bit of everything here so I hope everyone can find their thing and enjoy these just as much as I did. Don’t forget to leave them kudos and comments to celebrate Crow’s day!!

♦️ Magpie (E, 4k) - klepto Harry with a dark edge is everything we didn’t know we needed! Such a brutal - and brilliant - fic, I was completely enraptured by his charming characterization and the ending left me breathless

Potter doesn't steal because he needs anything, Draco quickly learns. He doesn't do it because it makes him feel anything. It isn't about power, and it isn't about control. Potter just does it because he can.

🥘 Mise en Place (T, 5.4k) - a tender and tasty treat, with lots of kitchen flirting and food porn. I live for sweet pining!Harry and their mutual obliviousness, it never gets old. Short and sweet as all good things are!

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.

🔪 The Thousand Deaths (E, 6k) - yes yes yes suicidal vampire murder husbands bound to live eternally!!!! This is a genius concept that once again blows my mind, I love the dark humor and overall depressing tone, it’s so uniquely cathartic. Every murder husbands fan has to go read this now!

When the Kedavras don’t work, they try wooden stakes. When the stakes don’t work, they try blades. When the blades don’t work, the truth spills between them like the vast, churning ocean — eternity, inescapable.

🪞 The Other Cottage (T, 6.5k) - here’s your spooky treat for the day, this fic is so creepy and clever and atmospheric it will immediately lure you in. This is unlike anything I’ve read so far. Masterful pacing and a delicious pining Draco spiralling towards a breathtaking ending!

If Pansy wasn’t shagging Ginny Weasley, Draco would never have been dragged to Luna’s ridiculous Halloween party in the first place - meaning he wouldn't be sitting in the corner of the room with Harry Potter all night.

🌌 An Emerald In The Sky (M, 6.6k) - an all-time fave of mine, my whole heart belongs to this time travel masterpiece, achingly bittersweet and heart-wrenching. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Harry through Draco’s POV, it’s impossible to stop thinking about this love story once you’ve read it.

The hardest part about shagging an Unspeakable is that they’re not allowed to speak of anything. All Draco knows is that Harry works in Time. Harry works in Time, and while he’s out there in all of that time, it is as unforgiving to him as it is to anyone.

📱 With Hands Full of Dusk (E, 15k) - it’s a crime that this story is so low on kudos and comments but I hope this ends now because wow, I’ve never read something so quietly atmospheric like this. Intriguing plot and brilliant execution exploring the fascinating combo of mystery, excitement, frustration and loneliness surrounding a researcher’s life.

Harry thought he'd found what he was searching for after the war. But as the quiet life he's earned begins to unravel at the seams, he finds himself searching instead for an elusive, mythical creature found only in lore and legend - with none other than Draco Malfoy as his companion.

🪢 The Seventh Life (E, 18k) - vampire Draco and mortal Harry as doomed lovers across lifetimes yes please!!! Is there anything more romantic - or devastating?? Another tender and bittersweet love story that left me in shambles and I thanked Crow for it, I am obsessed with this plot and the feels it gave me ugh how can I go on with my life now

If Draco had looked the other way, he may never have seen him again. But Draco turned, because he always would have turned. He found him, because he always would have found him - in life, in death, or in Paris.

🐍 In The Company Of Serpents (E, 25k) - love myself an intriguing case fic and this one is so creative and engaging! Fabulous setting, hot Parselmouth Harry and a brilliant take on Astoria, one of my favourites in fact. I adore the tentative Drarry dynamics and that bedroom sex scene is absolutely phenomenal, oof big smut rec here guys 🔥

There’s something wrong with the serpents at the Greengrass Ophidiarium. Luckily, a certain Parselmouth just might be able to help.

✉️ Twelve Moons (T, 27k) - cottagecore Drarry for skin cleansing, this soft slow burn mended my heart and it’s a great pick when you’re in need of comfort fics. It was a delight to follow this in real time too, v creative storytelling!

Harry Potter lives a quiet life, running an inn with his two best friends. Once a month, Draco Malfoy comes to stay. A real-time fic that takes place over the course of a year; updates every full moon.

🪴 Buds, Blooms, and Beards (E, 27k) - sex education fics are my jam, especially if it’s an experienced and sexy Draco guiding Harry through his bi discovery, yum! You’d think this is all about smut but it’s actually a gentle and comforting story about trust and friendship, one of the best portrayals of Harry & Ginny as friends and confidants, and a delightful “coming out” slow burn!

Thank u 😩

I can give you jealous Harry in general, adding on to this list Jealous Harry

Jealous Harry

Around You Moves by ignatiustrout (29k)

Harry knew Draco was gay when he invited him to move in. He’s never had a problem with this. So why does he feel so weird about Draco bringing men home all of a sudden?

Here’s The Pencil, Make It Work by ignatiustrout (49k)

Harry thinks “Why is Malfoy working in a coffee shop in muggle London?” is a much simpler question than, “Are you going to accept that auror offer and, if you don’t, what will you do?”

keep it down by warmfoothills (13k)

Malfoy’s an inconsiderately loud roommate and Harry’s over it.

If It Takes All Night by @tackytigerfic (10k)

It’s not the first time Harry’s been the victim of a botched curse (that’s one of the reasons he doesn’t like crowds), but he feels bad that Malfoy had to get caught up in it too. So they’re bonded. That’s ok, they just have to make sure to be touching at all time. No problem. Because Malfoy smells so nice, and has such lovely shiny hair, and his skin is so very warm. But this isn’t going to be a problem for their friendship at all. Is it, Harry?

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is. And it really doesn’t seem fair that Draco Malfoy is back in Harry’s life, all of a sudden, and even though he’s wandless, and living with Muggles, and making his mother cry with his lifestyle choices, he’s happy. So what’s he doing right, that Harry isn’t? Because things don’t really change, do they? And if Harry can’t be happy, he’ll settle for a good night’s sleep, some posh antiques, and the opportunity to find out what Malfoy has been up to for all these years. And that’s what starts it all.

Make This Leap by @oflights (118k)

Harry owns a struggling restaurant which is running out of money, and his Head Chef has just handed in notice. He's at a bit of a loss as to what to do until Narcissa Malfoy presents an obvious solution: bring in Draco Malfoy as Chef and part owner. Harry does.

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid (99k)

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry’s justice is his ticket back to everything he’s lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy’s world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

Grounds for Divorce by Tepre (122k)

Malfoy finds a coin. Harry finds a letter. A story about histories, a story about families. A story about a lemon tree somewhere in Upper Egypt.

Two of Us by @sorrybutblog (5k)

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.

You Know the Feeling by @sorrybutblog (12k)

Harry waits, but the hex never comes. In the mirror, Malfoy’s eyes dip shut, and he lets out a soft sound that goes right through Harry, heat rising in his body, pushing out against his chest. Malfoy turns slowly, careful not to dislodge Harry’s hand. He swallows, Adam's apple bobbing, then speaks, his voice low. “Don’t start something you won’t finish.” *** Harry’s not sure why he’s started hooking up with Malfoy. Boredom, or the heat of the summer, maybe. Whatever it is, it’s nothing too complicated. Right?

He Comes Like a Thunderstorm by @korlaena (140k)

Draco is doing his best to balance the life he wants to live and the life he’s forced to live. He’s nearing the tail-end of a long, post-war probation when Harry Potter crashes back into his life with all the grace of a charging Erumpent, breaking through his carefully constructed rules and routine. Caught up in a whirlwind of sex and lust, Potter unwittingly shows Draco that his life as an Incubus doesn’t have to be as lonely and unfulfilling as he thought, but how long can it last?

Scaredy Cat by GallaPlacidia (53k)

Google drive link by @geesenoises

Draco is cursed and starts uncontrollably turning into a kitten whenever he's stressed. There is, of course, only one logical solution: he must move in with Harry until they figure out how to break the curse.

The Nightmare Club by @diligent-thunder (85k)

Hermione and Ron are going back to Hogwarts to do N.E.W.T.s, Ginny isn't. Harry hasn't decided, until he has, in front of the Wizengamot and now he's responsible for Malfoy as well. A tale of enemies who learn to get along, get it wrong and get it on. Everything is purple, some things are on fire and no-one is sleeping properly. But don't worry, there's tea!

The Arrangement by @thegertie (65k)

It's worked for years. Why change it now?

Under Giant Mountains by @wolfpants (33k)

Harry doesn’t know where he’s going. Everyone else has their life paths figured out; he doesn’t even know where his map is. Who’d have thought Draco Malfoy bathing in a Norwegian forest would be the guidepost Harry needed? In which Harry’s trip to Norway to visit dragon-wrangler Ron introduces him to hikes from hell, mysterious natural magic, foraging, magical bathing, a new and bizarre friendship, and the frustrating, heady allure of his former nemesis turned sexy globetrotting field researcher.

Hook(Up) by @keyflight790 (5k)

Harry wasn't jealous. Not at all. He just wishes his damn assistant would focus on his fucking job rather than flirting with Zabini.

Title of Their Sex Tape by @cibeewastaken (12k)

What are the Wizarding world's most elite law enforcers doing when they aren't catching criminals? It seems Auror Malfoy is often caught throwing food into Auror Potter's mouth when he's mid-yawn. This story isn't about Draco throwing food at Harry. What it does have is: Undercover! Heists! Draco pining for Harry! Harry being oblivious, but also can't help noticing how good Draco smells! Banters and jokes! That's about it.

Graceless Heart by @orange-peony (132k)

Harry is lost and broken after the war. He has gone to countless funerals, broken up with Ginny, moved back into Grimmauld Place—which feels darker and dirtier than ever before despite how much he tries to fix it. He feels lonely and desperate, but he won’t ask for help, and he still can’t cry. When he agreed to help the Aurors at Malfoy Manor over the summer, he thought that he would be breaking dark curses. Harry never thought that he would actually spend his days sorting out dusty books with Draco Malfoy, or teaching him how to cook. Little by little, as they begin to navigate their life post-war, Harry and Draco become intimate…in more ways than Harry could have ever expected.

Two to Lie and One to Listen by @fluxweeed (84k)

It’s weird when Hermione announces that she and Ron have broken up. It’s weirder when this is followed by the revelation that she’s already moved on—and the new object of her affections is Draco Malfoy. Things only get worse from there.

All the Small Things by @bafflinghaze (12k)

Harry didn't know why, but when he saw Ginny and Draco together being so friendly, he had these feelings that he just couldn't understand.

Time Will Tell by @digthewriter (6k)

Harry needed a place to crash and hide, Draco provided that and eventually, he provided more than just a sofa to sleep on. Harry found a way to Draco's bed, but will he ever be able to find his way into Draco's heart?

Constellation Prize by @andithiel (12k)

Harry’s been pining for his friend and Auror partner for almost a year. But despite what his friends say, he and Draco aren't an old married couple...Draco has a boyfriend, there's no way he'd ever be interested. Right?

Break-Up Sex by @gracerene (2k)

Harry doesn't miss the bond, but he does miss Draco.

Head in the Game by @samyistrying (16k)

Harry and Malfoy shagged. But it’s fine, Harry doesn’t have feelings for him or anything. Yet he isn’t too thrilled when Malfoy gets hired as a Sports Therapist for Harry’s team – Puddlemere United. Of course, he gives massages. And of course, Harry has to bear witness to Malfoy making player after player groan in pleasure.

The Matchmaker's Spell by @kbrick (20k)

Thanks to a spell cast over all of wizarding Britain, Draco is forced to marry Harry Potter, who still hates him. But Draco refuses to live a cold, sexless existence, choosing to fill the emptiness in his life and his bed with a parade of lovers. And while Harry may not be able to stand Draco, he despises seeing him with anyone else.

Historians by @oknowkiss (29k)

It’s the Dumbledore’s Army Reunion Holiday, and Harry’s found himself in hot water with his friends once again, after telling them he has a boyfriend he definitely does not have. In an attempt to fix things, he’s made it his colleague on Level Nine, Draco Malfoy’s problem too. Featuring a ski chalet in Switzerland, a pair of bunk beds, and an agreement that should’ve been simple, were it not for all the bloody feelings getting in the way.

Intention by @the-sinking-ship (6k)

Harry really ought to listen to whatever Ron is saying, but it becomes impossible to focus when a familiar figure across the pub curls his fingers around another man’s tie. And when that man leans in with a wolfish smile, Harry sees red, and all he can think is mine.

Peeking behind the Curtain by @wellhalesbells (23k)

Draco sees things he really, really wishes he didn't. If only to get out of all the homework that comes with it.

Take the Air by dysonrules (51k)

Ever Since We Founded Rome

Harry's missing. Draco's the only one who can find him.

My art for @harrydracobang ‘s Reverse Bang 💋

What can I say there’s just something extra magical with the creature fics.

Thank you @periferal for liking my art so much to choose it I loved the sweet fic you wrote for it! Every update you sent me brought joy to my day.

Tell Me How You Like It by @phd-mama

Pairing: Draco/Harry + Ron platonic

Rating: Explicit

Wordcount: 3306

Summary: It's a beautiful sunny day, and when Ron is laid up in the common room with a broken ankle, he gets more of a glimpse into his best friend's private life than he ever might have wanted!

***

“Look, Draco, they’re so beautiful.”

The glowflies fluttered around them. Tiny lights reflected in Potter’s eyes, the greenest he’d ever seen them.

In that moment, Draco thought him the most beautiful. The light of the stars and the glowflies shone on him as if the world agreed and put a spotlight on Harry Potter.

-OR-

For @drarrymicrofic prompt 'dare'. cw: minor injury

"Potter, stay behind please."

"Of course, Minister."

There's a line between work and home, which gets awfully blurry when Harry's hurt. Draco brings Harry's bandaged hand to his lips when they are alone.

"One of your daring feats?"

"A dragon, Minister."