otp: Hijinks & Banter

embroidered fic recs 1/?

Running on Air by eleventy7 (aka @tinyhistory)

[useless technical shinfo: I used a bastardised version of a long and short stitch, stem stitch and french knots, silk and cotton blend fabric, 22 different shades of thread and 30cm hoops! it took me about 80 hours in total]

I’m wondering what to even write for this, like, is it even worth it? Am I gonna open my mouth to be met with a “Yeah, we know”? Because I know you know - you knew from the landscapes and the quote.

Anyway, I decided that if I was going to embroider my favourite fics, I’d have to start here. I remember reading ROA for the first time (pre returning to fandom tumblr, pre joining the drarry discord server) and sobbing silently into my pillow for hours trying not to wake up my husband or the pup. A couple of weeks later I sat in front of my therapist and said “look, I’m gonna have to talk to you about this piece of fanfiction I read” because it had touched me so deeply that I couldn’t go on without talking about it.

Running on Air is a beautifully written, intricately built plot and it’s worth a read and a re-read and a re-read again, like… until the end of times. I am forever indebted to eleventy7 for its existence, I am so incredibly emotionally attached to these landscapes and it was wonderful getting to stitch them with my own wee fingers.

Here are a few drarry wartime fic recs that are more than 30k words. Posted in alphabetical order, as always. Part 1 (recs with less than 30k) can be found here.

9 ½ Days by @magpiefngrl [21k]

After the events at the Manor, Harry and Draco find themselves stranded in the countryside with a broken wand and Death Eaters on their tail.  This is the story of an uneasy truce, featuring faerie forests, seaside  caves, Romani camps, kind old ladies, and a shared bed in an attic. Or how two boys fell in love in the midst of a bloody coup.

All the Answers by Maxine [195k] *Incomplete

Finding himself saddled with Draco Malfoy is just about the last thing Harry expected to happen this year. Too bad ignoring the git is something he’s never been able to do. Horcruxes, war, and teenage hormones – no one ever said this would be easy! 7th year fic. Harry/Draco main pairing…eventually. 

Allegiance and Sedition by SilentAuror [98k]

The war is in its fifth year, and Harry finds himself caught up in the confusion of friend versus enemy, spy versus traitor.

Black, in the Smothering Dark by @lol-zeitgeistic [101k]

Harry Potter is rescued from the Dursleys and spends the summer with his god…father? This is the prequel to The Hush of War. The Hush of War by @lol-zeitgeistic [351k] Voldemort has made a bargain with Harry to stop killing muggles and muggle-borns (when at all possible, of course) in exchange for Harry’s cooperation. While Harry thinks he’s using the time to find a way to defeat the Dark Lord, he will realize that Voldemort is always one step ahead, and so long as he isn’t killing anyone…what’s the big deal? He has bigger things to worry about now, anyway. Includes dementors, pureblood culture, the prophecy, what exactly happened with Lily’s sacrifice, magical breakthroughs, children Death Eaters, and portraits of family. Final pairing: H/D. Sequel to Black, in the Smothering Dark.

Double Edged Sword by @romaine2424 [554k]   

Harry thinks his life has been planned out, but the night he comes of age changes everything.  Now there are decisions to be made and a path to be chosen, and the choices before him will change the lives of everyone he knows.  But when destiny calls, Harry finds himself ready to listen. This is an epic story of the love between Harry and Draco.  Join them as they journey through their life together, through the good times and the bad, facing obstacles both external and internal, and see how they come to be who they were meant to be. (This story was written after HBP.)

Earthbound Spook by cest_what [57k]

Two months after Draco Malfoy was reported dead, Harry and Ron found him tangled in Strangler Ivy on the grounds of Hogwarts.

Eclipse by Mijan [287k]

“You’re dead, Potter… I’m going to make you pay…” Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius’s imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It’s the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But when Draco’s world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back.

Faerie Felicities by @quackquackcey  [79k]

Draco dies and wakes up to the emerald drapes of the Slytherin dormitory at the end of 5th year. Thus ensues new possibilities, new choices, a new life, and a new romance(?) Featuring fluffy shenanigans, lots of baking, and a hopefully not-so-bad war (fingers crossed). Or in other words, a somewhat Christmassy canon rewrite fic.

Finite Incantatum by Alysian Fields [153k]

What should have happened after ‘Half Blood Prince’! It’s the autumn after Dumbledore’s death, the Death Eaters are steadily gaining power, and Harry and his friends are desperate to find the remaining Horcruxes. But then Draco Malfoy arrives at Grimmauld Place, traumatised, starved and drained of all his magical ability. It falls to Harry to show the Slytherin how to adapt to his new way of life, never guessing that Draco has a few things to teach him in return.

First Watch of Night by @tackytigerfic [273k]

Harry Potter defeated Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts on May 2nd, 1998. But what if he didn’t? Seven years after the Battle, and Harry is locked in a war he can’t seem to win. The last thing he needs is one Draco Malfoy arriving into his HQ to disrupt everything—let alone two Draco Malfoys.

Hermione Granger’s Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by @waspabi [93k]

‘You’re a wizard, Harry’ is easier to hear from a half-giant when you’re eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you’re seventeen and late for work.

Men Who Love Dragons Too Much by @fencer-x [479k]

[Extensive re-telling of Deathly Hallows] As in Half-blood Prince, Draco is charged by Voldemort with killing Dumbledore—only instead of trying to do his best with the challenge, he realizes he’s been set a futile task and instead focuses on finding a way to save both himself and his parents. He eventually decides to spend his sixth year studying Animagecraft, convinced it’s his best shot at escaping the impossible situation he’s found himself in. But just his luck, his Animagus form turns out to be a dragon, and a rather randy juvenile at that, intent on finding its mate: one Harry James Potter.

On the Last Day of Our World by Sansa [84k]

During a detention, Harry and Draco get locked in a strange room together overnight. When they escape the next morning, they discover they are alone. Love, angst and adventure abound as they struggle to survive in an empty world.

Open Fire by @slytherco [38k]

Once upon a time, in a Death Eater-occupied Britain… A story about the Second Wizarding War, still going on ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts. While the Light Side struggles to keep evil at bay, those who wish to rid the world of Mixed-Blood Wix roam free, growing in power and persistent in their cruelty. In the meantime, in an undisclosed location, a group of rogue partisans works tirelessly, doing one thing, and one thing only: killing Death Eaters. Things complicate when during one of their raids, the Pack captures an old acquaintance who turns out to be a double agent. He can help them change the course of the War but change isn’t something their leader takes in stride, both on the front and in his heart. An AU based on the movie “Inglourious Basterds”

Recursion by @tessacrowley [132k]

A process is recursive when it defines or contains  itself; e.g., the Fibonacci sequence, which determines the next number  as the sum of the previous two. But not all recursive processes  are mathematical. Recursion can happen in a temporal context when, for   instance, the powerful magical force that is true love drags you back in  time so it can create itself, endangering the fate of the Wizarding   World—not to mention the very fabric of space and time—along the way.

Silenced by the Night by @parkkate [55k]

After a spell goes horribly wrong, Harry has to deal with the loss of his eyesight. It’s such terrible timing, too, because how is he supposed to find out what Malfoy has been up to in the Room of Requirement? It’s not like he can ask the git, not only because it’s Malfoy, but also because the Slytherin has suddenly lost his voice. While they’re both trapped in the hospital wing, however, Harry discovers there’s so much he didn’t know about Malfoy, and it’s highly intriguing, but also a bit alarming. Where did all these confusing feelings come from all of a sudden? And what is Harry going to do about them?

Stars As Bright Spots Only by Slytherincess [66k]

Draco Malfoy is struggling to maintain his sanity while carrying out his duties as a sixteen-year-old Death Eater. Draco tries to take solace in Polyjuice, a loyal friend, and an enchanted hand mirror, and finds there’s more than meets the eye in the Mirror of Erised. The events of Half-Blood Prince as interpreted from Draco’s POV.

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrims0n [180k]

Draco Malfoy is forced into hiding with the Golden Trio and dragged into their search for horcruxes. What ensues is a journey of redemption, unexpected friendships and an unwanted, turbulent romance with Harry Potter. Warnings for swearing, sexual content, and dark themes.

There Is No Denying by @vigiliae-noctis [54k]

“Draco took the T-shirt and spread it out on the unmade bed. There was a big rip under one of the arms, and the word ‘METALLICA’ was written on it in spiky, alien letters whose ‘M’ and ‘A’ ended in lightning bolts, like Potter’s scar. Draco bent down and pressed his face into the T-shirt. It smelled of Potter, like beeswax and wood. A wave of painful longing hit Draco. Then he remembered a dream he’d had last night, in the sudden way that dreams sometimes come back during the day …” It’s year seven. Voldemort has taken over the Ministry, the Carrows have taken over Hogwarts, and Harry Potter has disappeared. Draco Malfoy has become Voldemort’s right-hand Death Eater, and he’s been Occluding his thoughts to hide dangerous secrets. But Draco’s suppressed memories start resurfacing, memories of Harry. Did something romantic happen between Draco and Harry in sixth year? And does this mean Draco can find out where Harry has gone and bring him back?

A Thousand Beautiful Things by geoviki [104k]

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend. Delicate Sound of Thunder by geoviki [61k] Draco Malfoy has always known that happily ever after is only true for fairy tales.  When someone threatens to expose his wartime past, he risks his life to protect his secrets, but learns he’s not the only one with something to hide. The sequel to A Thousand Beautiful Things.

Tomorrow by @novembersnowflakes [4k]

For Harry and Draco, the dawn is long in coming. (Prequel to “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow”) Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by @novembersnowflakes [57k]  When the long-missing Draco Malfoy turns up at a Ministry field hospital with amnesia, bitter Auror Harry Potter must confront the shadows of  their shared past to shed light on a potentially deadly mystery. Daybreak by @novembersnowflakes [5k]  Harry Potter, Draco knows, has a habit of keeping his promises. (Coda to “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow”)

A Wave in Windless Water by reposoir [57k]

Harry, Hermione, and Ron work together in Godric’s Hollow to find and destroy Voldemort’s horcruxes. With the unexpected arrival of Draco Malfoy, Harry has the burden of both the horcruxes and new worries weighing him down.

Who Will Guard the Door by musamihi [36k]

The day his father is sentenced, Draco takes the Mark and is given his impossible task. Thorfinn Rowle, assigned to be his mentor, is less interested in assisting him than in satisfying his own appetites. As Draco sinks further into failure and watches the war sweep his parents away from him, he takes refuge in the Manor – a member of the family he never knew he had. But the Manor suffers its own wounds during Lord Voldemort’s residency, and the Chosen One may be the only force that can heal them.

Will Do So Gently by @shewhomustnotbenamed [138k]

Following a coup organised by Voldemort, England’s society collapses. Initial attempts by the government to regain power are thwarted by Death Eaters, and a rebellion group called ‘The Order’ forms to fight against them. The country divides, people flee, and those left are trying their best to survive. Draco Malfoy, raised since birth to believe in Voldemort, grows wiser with age and abandons his home after he realises the terror Voldemort intends to inflict on the world. Afraid of what The Order might do to a marked Death Eater, he goes into hiding where he remains for years until Harry Potter finds him and sparks his long-lost will to fight. Their paths separate, and Draco goes out to join The Order or die trying, not realising that his Death Eater status will be the least of his concerns when he arrives. Based loosely off of The Last Of Us (minus zombies)

Bound: That Old Black Magic by @bixgirl1

Typeset and bound by: me, @phoenixortheflame

Centuries ago, marriage contracts were the norm — ready-made alliances between families, expected and complied with, without complaint. But norms have a way of changing, and when a long-dormant contract flares to life, Harry has to navigate an unexpected splintering of the path he'd thought would be easy after the war... with Draco Malfoy.

Now that bixgirl1 has their copy, I can finally share this bind I did of their amazing fic, That Old Black Magic (shout out to @reveriepi for her stunning pod of the fic).

It's been a while since I made myself a hardcover, but once I settled on a design for this bb I knew I had to make one for myself.

My early design concept wasn't clicking so I begged my pals for help, and @epitomereally came through with this amazing public domain art, which I used on the dust jacket.

I was planning on backing these books, but I didn't print small enough signatures so I ended up just rounding them, and I think the spine looks really good.

The endbands are done with Trebizond silk thread using DAS' two-colour front bead method, and the edges are speckled with acrylic inks.

I think I'm most proud of this typeset, which came together quite quickly — only a couple days.

I hope you love the bind as much as I loved making it, @bixgirl1!

As always, this was made as a gift. No money (or other capital) was involved in this exchange.

For @drarrymicrofic prompt: inhale

Drarry, Formula 1 AU, this is sort of Maxiel-coded ok.

Dear @wolfpants I'm sorry it's F1 but wanted to wish you a very happy and very belated birthday, pal.

There's a moment, after his front wheels lock but before he hits the wall, when Harry experiences a weird and total purity of vision. Everything leaps into high colour: the numbers flashing demurely on his screen, the flickering jaunty stripes of the wall he's about to crash into, the gloss of his gloves where his hands are flexing as the steering wheel spins through his hands, as though turning it will do the slightest bit of good.

In his moment of clarity, Harry just has the time to think “Malfoy,” and then the nose of the car is buried in the barrier, the air fuel-hot, the throb of the engine suddenly, horribly still.

It’s objectively a weird last thought to have had; Harry’s done with Malfoy, has been done with Malfoy for ages. It might just be hysteria manifesting in a weird way, the thought of imminent death combining with the awful, frightening, sudden pain of the impact making Harry loopy. He doesn’t have time to worry about it anymore, though, because that’s when he smells burning.

***

The interview with Malfoy is all over the news by the time Harry gets home from the hospital, and it plays on a constant silent loop on the big telly while he drinks a Red Bull straight from the can, standing in the cold blast from the open fridge door. There’s an interview with Albus too, outside the Firebolt hospitality. Harry doesn’t know what he’s saying, hasn’t watched it, but he can make a fairly good guess.

He has watched the Malfoy interview. Couldn’t help himself, if he’s honest, plus it’s also all over the socials, even the Firebolt ones. No escape. It's obviously recorded just after the race, because Malfoy is still trackside, lines scored over his cheeks from the balaclava, his hair sticking with sweat behind his ears. His dad is beside him, scrolling furiously through his phone, wearing a Strike hoodie, the silver snake of the S gleaming in a thousand camera flashes.

“Fuck off,” Malfoy tells the cameras — the word is bleeped out, but his mouth moves unmistakably through the consonants. He sucks aggressively on his straw as the microphone is shoved in his face again, a bodiless voice saying, “Can you tell us how you’re feeling about what happened to Harry, Draco?”

Malfoy throws his helmet. Whoever’s behind the camera does a good job of capturing the sudden movement, the slight sheen of sweat in the armpit of Malfoy’s green fireproofs, the viciousness of the overarm throw, the clumsy harmless landing as the helmet rolls uselessly along the ground — if Malfoy was aiming for the reporters, he was way off. Embarrassing, for a professional athlete.

There’s silence.

Malfoy shoves through the crowd of reporters, the dangling arms of his race suit flapping behind him. The camera moves with him. He turns.

“I don’t give a damn about Potter.” And then he really is gone, the green globe of his helmet still rocking on the concrete.

The camera pans back to Lucius Malfoy, who looks bored.

“Of course, my son wishes Potter a speedy recovery,” he says. There’s an excruciating pause while he taps at his phone screen efficiently, then the whoosh sound of a message sending. He looks up. “They were, after all, teammates once.”

They’ve even shared the clip on the Strike socials, though they left out the swearing and the straw-sucking and the helmet-throwing, just kept the moment when Malfoy stalks out of the paddock, Lucius Malfoy’s glib statement.

A slow-mo of Malfoy throwing his helmet already has over a million likes on the official F1 account on Insta. Harry’s checked, from his fake account. He watches it four times while he eats one of the revolting meals that are all Ginny allows him to eat in-season. She’s got a new training schedule set up for him too; she’s left it stuck to the front of the fridge with one of the Potter 7 magnets he has about 20 of.

His phone is going, Ron out of some sponsorship meeting, a pic of the contract with a thumbs up emoji. Harry gives it a thumbs up back and then Ron messages again — Malfoy asking about you and the puking emoji. Text him mate or he’ll just keep texting me.

Harry’s message thread with Malfoy is over a year old. It’s buried so deep he almost hopes he won’t find it, but of course it’s there as he scrolls down, just an anonymous M for Malfoy in the place of the photo Harry used to have saved. He clicks in, thumbing quickly into the text box so he doesn’t have to look at the line of blue messages one after the other. Malfoy had never replied, not since the day he told Harry that he was moving to Strike. Harry shouldn’t even fucking bother messaging now, he should just let Ron handle Malfoy. That’s literally his job.

I’m fine, is what he settles on. It strikes the right note, he thinks. Dignified, but factual. He hits send, then undoes it all by going back in straight away and following it up with Ron told me you asked. He almost mentions the onboard. Malfoy would have mentioned it, if it was the other way round. But he’s glad he managed not to, when his messages turn to read but Malfoy doesn’t reply.

HELLO TUMBLR 👋 i am ENORMOUSLY excited to say: i've written a book! and i'm writing two more! and they're all queer romcoms! and the first one, FALL INTO YOU, will be out in JUNE. there is a LOT of my heart in this novel, and i absolutely can't wait to share it with you 💜

if you've ever enjoyed my fanfic, particularly stories like What We Pretend We Can't See and I've Got Nothing to Do Today But Smile, then you'll love FALL INTO YOU. it's full of ROMANCE and JOKES but also REAL, MESSY PEOPLE with PROBLEMS and TRAUMA, because those are the stories i love telling! it's chock full of things i adore: set on an APPLE FARM in NORTHEAST OHIO, main characters who hate each other more or less immediately, gratuitous depictions of food, and they were ROOMMATES?, people healing wounds they didn't even know were still open, AND MORE.

i'll be sharing more about this book in the weeks to come (i promise i will try so hard not to be obnoxious about it 🫡 ), and about the next two as we get closer to publication! but until then, i just want to say: the fic stays UP and the author stays GRATEFUL, always. i am honored and humbled by your readership, and really proud of the work i've done for and with fandom, and that's not a tune you're ever going to see me change.

Here are a few close-ups of the details from the artwork I created for this typeset! Each typeset and bind had its own color theme, this one is the blue version!

Artwork and typeset(s) by @jessonel

Hi anon, always! I was gonna start off by saying that I haven’t read 8th year much, but this list is evidence to the contrary so maybe I should stop saying that 😂 here are some recs for you, I’ll also highlight two personal favourites: Matched Set by astolat and Like Lightning at Your Fingertips by potterwatch, while not exactly underrated I don’t see them recced as much as other fics. Enjoy!!!

Snug by @moonflower-rose (E, 6k)

Potter can't keep his hands off himself. Draco can't look away.

The Pensieve Project by curiouslyfic (T, 7k)

Of the 116 Hogwarts students who took part in the final battle, only five are officially invited to the Ministry's first annual memorial. For everyone else, there's the Pensieve Project.

Champion by @shealwaysreads (T, 7k)

Harry thought his Eighth Year would be simple and easy. And it sort of is, though not in the ways he expected.

What Country, Friends, Is This? by khalulu (M, 8k)

When Harry and Draco are paired up for a nebulous “capstone project” in 8th year, Draco suggests they use it as an opportunity to take a free Grand Tour of Europe. Harry isn’t interested in being grand, and they soon veer off the beaten path.

Good Company by Greenflares (T, 8k)

With Hermione and Ron always together, Harry's return to Hogwarts to complete his education isn't exactly fun. Somehow, it's his unlikely friendship with Malfoy that keeps him sane.

swallow your words by icarusinflight (E, 9k)

The truth is, not many things are known about the magic that is behind soulmarks. They'll turn up when they want and not before.

Heliomancy by Leela (E, 10k)

A teasing mirror that came from Grimmauld Place and the emphasis on inter-house relations during his eighth year at Hogwarts change everything for Harry.

warmest part of the winter by warmfoothills (T, 11k)

It’s not even a balcony, it’s just a window with a bit of a ledge, and Draco’s read Shakespeare anyway, he knows how this one ends.

Said and Unsaid (or, The Value of Knowing When to Stop Talking) by bryoneybrynn (T, 15k)

When the Interrogator asked if he had anything to say on his own behalf, Draco shook his head, his lips pressed tight in a thin line. There was nothing to say that wouldn’t sound like an excuse.

Find The Balance by lauren3210, Obliviate_Amores (M, 15k)

After Harry gives Draco his wand and goes back to using his own, they both start having trouble making them work. Finding out why is a lot simpler than fixing the problem.

Equally Cursed and Blessed by @moonflower-rose (E, 18k)

Harry's back at Hogwarts to attempt his final year, again. This time he's sure there'll be no shenanigans. Well. Maybe there'll be a few.

Edificabo by @doubleappled (E, 18k)

Numb and exhausted after the war, Harry returns to the only real home he’s ever known. Hogwarts needs help, too.

Silver Linings by @sorrybutblog (M, 21k)

Or: Harry's gone back for eighth year at Hogwarts and nothing is quite the same, save his inability to leave Draco alone. But then he finds that Draco isn't what he expected either, as they spend the month of December stuck in each other's orbit.

Colloquy by @dracoladon, @lazywonderlvnd (E, 30k)

Harry's not gay, Malfoy just smells good.

On Our Way by evils (E, 30k)

Draco is trying to spend the summer keeping his head down, but a repair project and a certain snowy owl have other plans for him.

All Things Go by @sorrybutblog (E, 32k)

Draco’s back at Hogwarts by court order. Harry’s back for no particular reason at all. Some things change, some stay the same. Neither expects to spend eighth-year living in close quarters, playing rugby (poorly), staying up late, sneaking around, and finally figuring it all out.

Eager for the Sky by @oknowkiss (M, 35k)

It was announced, just as the Triwizard Tournament had been, at the start of term feast. A year-long, international Quidditch varsity match — the inaugural Wizarding Academy Cup.

Inside Your Mind by @lazywonderlvnd (E, 36k)

Goyle's taken it upon himself to act as Malfoy's personal, one-man guard and Harry can't help but feel like it's only making the bullying worse.

Seeker, Chaser, Keeper by VivacissimoVoce (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. Will competing for the position bring them closer or drive them further apart?

Inertia by @cavendishbutterfly (E, 83k)

It’s three months after the war. Harry has already mucked up all his plans. Draco is no longer the prince of Slytherin house. And they sure as hell didn’t both mean to go back to Hogwarts at the same time. Cue snarking, long conversations…and unexpected snogging.

Reparo by amalin (E, 85k)

Voldemort's final defeat does not mean Harry Potter's troubles are over; far from it. In the aftermath of war, he returns to a Hogwarts that is fractured and divided, but this is no break that can be fixed with a spell. New owls, fading scars, surprising alliances—and along the way, the hardest task of all, to live with it.

Bonus: Harry/Draco/Theo 😌

just call this what it is by queens_crown (M, 27k)

day 10 of @hprecfest — a fest/event fic | previous recs

a cold spot in hell by feelsforbreakfast (E, 8k) for @hd-hurtfest (2020) check tags + author's endnotes!

When there’s nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.

ffb summarises this fic best: 8k of sexy arson, emotionally difficult arson, general arson, handkerchiefs, dread, and poetry curation.

—

this fic: ash in my mouth, aflame under my skin, a strained burn in the lungs. eye-watering, like staring too long at the sharp glare of something bright and dizzying.

one of the most compelling and devastating post-war portraits i’ve encountered. it’s uncannily familiar, especially in the current moment— thick and heavy and horribly believable. there’s some brilliant work done with rage, both the idea and visceral affect, and the poetic economy sets a glorious bar. cold spot is single-handedly responsible for my fascination with arson & the need to deal with the war in any hp fic i write.

i (understandably) don’t see a lot of experimental storytelling in fandom, but this fic is a masterclass in what it can achieve. the non-linear structure had my jaw dropping, the handkerchief motif was painful, and the ending’s temporal non-closure, how it opens and shuts down possibilities in one fell swoop, is exquisite. an understated classic.

these sock puppets are a bit of a sequel to my drarry dolls. they were mostly made with the scraps i had from last year! i giggled uncontrollably while crafting these silly things.

thank you @julcheninred for hosting this absolute laugh riot! and thank you @getawayfox and @crazybutgood for encouraging my nonsense.

day 18 of @hprecfest - a fic that makes you laugh

Little Red Courgette, by @blamebrampton - T, 31k, 2009

Summary: When this season's purple courgettes are woefully thin, Draco Malfoy thinks it amounts to small beans. Next thing he knows, the Department of Standards is over-run with leeks, Brussels sprouts all sorts of legislative difficulties, and somebody appears to have put a roquette under Harry Potter. Can Draco seize a marrow victory? Or will his plans for peas be squashed?

All along, Kingsley Shacklebolt finds himself pining for the good old days, when, instead of governing, all you had to worry about were Dark Lords and imminent death.

Excerpt:

They each made it through a bowl of chocolate with sundry other flavours garnishing it. And three large glasses of wine. This was the only excuse Draco could find for the fact that he found himself asking Potter: 'So what's your game?'

'Quidditch,' Potter replied instantly. 'Or Exploding Snap.'

'Here. What's your game here.'

'I'm not with you.'

A part of Draco's brain screamed at him to stop, but the alcohol-soaked part, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Smythe's, encouraged him to go on. 'Are you working with Kingsley to enlist me as your pawn in a clean out of the Ministry? You were very quick to agree when I asked you to warn The Quibbler off, was it all a ruse?'

'I thought you were engaged in your own hands-on grass-roots Ministry reform, making the one department work well, with an eye to expanding in the future,' Potter rebutted.

'Well I am, so you needn't try making use of me in your nefarious scheme.'

'I don't have a nefarious scheme.'

'So is it all a complicated plan to take some highly personal and embarrassing revenge for the Potter Stinks badges? Because that was years ago. And although I feel a little badly about it now, they were excellent work for a wizard that age.'

'They were, I was impressed. I still have one at home, you know.'

'Really?'

'Yup. I thought you were a wanker at the time, but I have to say, that was a quality Charm.'

'Thanks. So what's left? You're in the hire of someone keen to assassinate the last of the Malfoys; it's all an elaborate if somewhat clumsy plan at seduction; or you're desperate for someone to talk to now that all your friends are getting married and having children.'

'Those are my options? I'll take two, clumsy seduction.'

'Really?'

Back in 2019 when I rediscovered the joys of fanfic after over a decade out, I started off the way any (less tech-savvy) millennial would, by googling 'Drarry fanfiction'. blamebrampton's works were some of the first that I found, and I was immediately entranced. They're such an incredible variety, from the Muggle World-set Doing the Lambeth Walk, to travel fic Beneath Boundless Skies, to wartime epic (and longtime @tackytigerfic obsession) And Save Me From Bloody Men. No matter what the topic, though, blamebrampton's sense of humour always shines through in her sharp observations and witty dialogue, and in Little Red Courgette she's able to showcase this to the fullest extent. It's a hilarious examination of government bureaucracy from the world-weary point of view of one Draco Malfoy, an employee of the Office for the Volumetric Standardisation of Edible Wizarding Greengrocery Produce. The veg related puns are numerous, and excellent, and both Draco and Harry are incredibly endearing. Big rec, for all her works!

If you read it, and especially if you love it, please do let me know! And as always, please do take the time to leave the author a kudos/comment <3

day 1 - first fic you remember reading

day 2 - a fic rated G

day 3 - a fic not on ao3

day 4 - a comfort fic

day 5 - a romantic fic

day 6 - a fic for a ship you don’t normally read

day 7 - the best of your OTP

day 8 - a fic that was recced to you

day 9 - a WIP

day 10 - a fest/event fic

day 11 - an underrated fic

day 12 - a fic from your favourite author

day 13 - a rare pair

day 14 - a fic rated T

day 15 - a fic over 50k

day 16 - a podfic

Grounds for Divorce by @tepre 🍋

War Wounds by silentauror

Harry/Draco, Harry/Ginny (2007, Explicit, 30k)

Some wounds take longer to recover from than others. This is a story about finding the way forward. Themes of alcoholism, dubious fidelity, and a love triangle.

“Since when I do matter so much to you?” Malfoy made an impatient gesture. “That still confuses me.”

“I don’t know,” Harry said. “I just… there are certain things that you expect to be the way they are in life. I expect Hermione to know stuff. I expect Ron to be up for a pint when I want him to be. I expect the Ministry to be bureaucratic and riddled with politics. I expect you to be confident, full of yourself, snarky, and good at everything you do. I want you to be that way.”

I can’t remember the last time I read anything that wasn’t on AO3 - I’m too used to it by now! - but I felt like doing a silentauror marathon and since most of her works are on LJ I decided to explore a bit. I’ve been reading a lot of older fics since coming back from my fandom break, I think looking for some nostalgic emotional resonance. And while alcoholism and infidelity are topics I usually avoid in fic, interestingly enough those tags were exactly what made me click on it. I know this is the kind of content that would make me jump into it back in 2007 and I’m so happy I gave this a chance in the name of nostalgia because this was the lovely, heartfelt and cathartic ride I needed. I must preface this clarifying that this fic is told from Harry’s POV and focuses heavily on the infidelity theme (his conflict) rather than on the alcoholism theme (Draco’s conflict). I feel like between the two, the latter gets an overly simplified resolution that some people might find disappointing, so keep that in mind before diving in.

One thing I love about older fics and especially silentauror’s works is how well they capture the war’s dark, urgent and haunting atmosphere. We often see characters being given space to be more damaged, snappy and introspective than usual, silently fighting personal demons before asking for help. This happens to be a post-war fic set ten years after the Battle but for those who love war time / spy fics like me, I highly recommend checking SA’s works where the war drags on for years. Those are so raw and tense! Personally I love how the serious tone note permeates the narrative and allows characters to be complicated, angry, lost and vulnerable. War Wounds captivated me right away with a quiet but poignant slow burn bringing together this sassy yet broken and incredibly lonely Draco, and this weary Harry who settled for a life that doesn’t bring him any joy and finds himself caught in Draco’s orbit because he’s the one who cares. Oh boy, their dynamics are electric but also quietly soft in its tentative friendship. I almost didn’t want them to get together because I looked forward to every bit of dialogue, every moment of silent understanding where they bonded over shared trauma.

Draco’s voice took my breath away - I don’t know how SA managed to balance his sharp tongue, vulnerability and long-standing want for Harry in such a brutally honest way. He’s snarky and seductive, a badass potions expert that renders Harry frustrated in his bi disaster crisis because he can’t understand how Draco could be anything other than confident smooth and absolutely in control. And this oblivious Harry is equally lovely, jaded about his work, full of insecurities watching his relationship with Ginny ruin, confused and irritated and curious about the way Draco makes him question his sexuality, but never abandoning him on his own. As many “sexual identity crisis” stories Ginny fills the role of wrong person / bad guy but despite the amount of stories exploring this trope, this fic still feels very fresh and unique as if the author is writing a love letter to Drarry.

This fic is also intensely cinematic. So many special moments will stay with me, like the way Draco confronts Harry about keeping secrets (I love his ultimatum “if we’re going to be friends let’s cut the bullshit and talk things through”) or when Harry feels a lump in his throat seeing Draco in the rain, or their early conversation about Draco liking unavailable things, and of course the beautiful way they come together at last, intimate and understanding, Harry finally sure of his feelings and experiencing all the things that for whatever reason he never got to experience with Ginny. I found their certainty about each other really touching, yet nothing prepared me for that “This is going to be good, Harry”, I could actually feel my chest bursting with emotion. I hadn’t felt this moved by a fic ending in ages!

If you’re looking for a quietly gorgeous, mature, realistic and slightly angsty post-war romance search no more, and while at it make sure to check SA’s full catalogue, you’re in for a treat!