Light. Darkness. A Balance.

Work-Life Balance (3925 words) by raven_maiden Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Co-workers, Gratuitous Smut, Enemies to Lovers, idiots to lovers, Office Sex, Multiple Orgasms, Jealous Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy Has a Large Cock, If I don’t tag that please consider it my cry for help, Pining Draco Malfoy, (Somewhat) Oblivious Hermione Granger, she figures it out tho, Slap Slap Kiss, Desk Sex, Flashbacks Summary:

“Keep trying, Malfoy. You’re good, but you’re not that good. ”

In fact, he was.

In light of the questions I’m often asked, as well as some recent developments in fandom, I wanted to share a formal policy about engaging with my fanfiction content.  💜

(1) I do not allow my work to be reposted in English on any fanfic platform (i.e., Wattpad, AO3, FFN, or livejournal). The linktree in my bio contains links to my official fanfic accounts, where you may read my work in English.

(2) I allow non-English translations of my work to be posted on fanfic platforms as long as I am properly credited as the author, and a link is included to my original fanfic on AO3 or fanfiction.net. As I am slow to respond to DMs, please assume this policy to be your approval to translate. Once your translation is posted, please send me a message with a link so that I can refer fans to it.

(3) I allow anyone to create a podfic / audiobook, fanart, fanfic, songfic, fan edit / aesthetic, fan video, or live action fan creation inspired by my fanfic, as long my story and authorship are properly acknowledged. These creations must not involve any profit, except for individually commissioned fanart (which I do allow). If you post a fan creation inspired by my work, please include a link to my original fanfic on AO3 or fanfiction.net. If I’m on the platform, feel free to tag me so I can admire it. 🥰

(4) I allow individually-made bound books of my fanfics for personal use or gifting purposes, as long as they are profit-free and my authorship (and any artists) are properly acknowledged. You may make them yourself or order them from a reputable fandom book binder.

(5) I allow individual commissions of book bindings of my fanfic, as long as the charges are strictly for materials and shipping, and no profit is made. I do NOT allow my fanfics to be printed using any type of commercial / mass printing platform (e.g., Barnes & Noble, lulu).

(6) Whether the bound copy of my work is for personal use or a gift, and whether it is self-made or a commission, permission must be obtained directly from the artist(s) BEFORE printing any fanart within the pages / typeset of my work, or as cover art. The artist(s) must consent to the manner in which their art will be used, including text overlays. If you are commissioning a bound book of my work, ask the book binder they have received artists’ permission before you order.

(7) I do not allow typesets of my work to be hidden behind a paywall (e.g., Patreon) for any reason. I do not allow fandom book binders to charge people for “slots” / the opportunity to commission a bound copy of my fanfic.

(8) I allow merch depicting concepts that have appeared in my fanfic (e.g., a canvas bag saying, “My Saturday Girl”) as long as no reference to my fanfic, my pen name, or Warner Brothers’ intellectual property (e.g., “Harry Potter,” “Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger”) appears in the description or title of the product. The merch must be disambiguated from Harry Potter IP. I ask sellers to be fair in what they charge / to not take advantage of fans of my work, and encourage people to learn how to make their own merch.

(9) Recently, I became aware that fans have found a way to group together and order multiple profit-free commissions of my fanfic from a non-commercial book binder for a reduced price. Unfortunately, given recent developments, I am no longer able to allow anything other than individual, profit-free commissions.

Thank you for supporting my work, my policies, and for the beautiful things you’ve created to help share my work with others.

After 84 years, I drew a thing again!

Eighth year is one of my most favorite tropes. I just love the idea of these characters in a familiar setting post-battle. I’ve shared many of my favorite eighth-year recommendations in three posts. I hope you find some favorites!

Part One includes 40+ fics under 5k words—and in this case, good things come in small packages. 

Genre: Romantic Drama, Dystopian, War

Author: @lovesbitca8

Word Count: 326K

PREFACE: Alright good people, you all knew it was coming. A review (re: love letter) to my all-time favorite FanFiction. The absolute masterpiece that sealed the deal for me to become a lifelong Dramione shipper. The fic that made me realize what utter perfection was, that became my golden standard, that led me to develop a whole-ass scorecard, which I now use to measure and benchmark all other fics. The only fic that received a perfect 9/9 on said scorecard. The fic that, upon finishing, effectively defined and described that “empty satisfaction” feeling that I’m now desperately searching for in fictional media—that feeling where you are so grateful and satisfied that you got to experience such a marvelous tale, yet so empty because you’re not ready to return to reality. The feeling that causes ALL of us to run towards FanFiction and beyond!

Without further ado, let’s get to it!

OVERVIEW: The Auction is a searing, brilliant, and epic tale of two star-crossed lovers whose pure and innocent love burns brightly in the bleakest of circumstances—a love which transforms into a hope that changes the course of the world. Masterful and viscerally written, LovesBitca8 weaves a narrative so intense and beautiful that the most stoic of readers will find their hearts rendered to pieces, only to have it lovingly stitched back together at the end of the journey.

Set in the aftermath of a in a VoldemortWins!AU with minor elements taken from The Handmaiden’s Tale, it’s no surprise that readers often compare The Auction to SenLinYu’s equally acclaimed Manacled. Although the circumstances are similar, I disagree with this assessment.

Here’s my take on it: Manacled isn’t really a romance fic. Rather, it is more accurately a Hermione-centered war fic with romantic elements. (In that regard, perhaps it is more similar to Love in a Time of the Zombie Apocalypse, which I recently reviewed here.)

Conversely, The Auction is staunchly a romance fic, with elements of a war epic.

That is to say, Draco and Hermione are not two people dropped into an epic war in which dubious love blooms; but rather, a war is dropped into middle of their epic, young love.

Yes, that’s right—Draco and Hermione’s love story is more epic than Voldemort’s fucking war.

Now, with that said, it is important to mention that the emotional impact of The Auction is largely achieved because of LoveBitca8’s first installment to this series, The Right Thing to Do (TRTTD). TRTTD is a standalone novel, but the characterizations, backstories, and flashbacks of Draco and Hermione revealed there apply to The Auction as well. In that regard, TRTTD (at least only certain scenes) could almost serve as a prequel.

And this is what the scenes will reveal: Draco and Hermione’s love in this universe centers on the dynamic of the secret crush trope. If you’ve read even the first chapter of TRTTD, this will not come as a surprise to you. Normally, I stay far, far away from secret crush stories in Dramione. Because canon Draco was an absolute bigoted asshole to Hermione, it’s difficult to reconcile that, even in fanon works. However, it only works in The Auction because LovesBitca8 has effectively retconned canon by introducing crucial flashbacks of Draco and Hermione’s Hogwarts days and the events leading up to the war, and of course, the auction. She crafts a history between them that convinces us that their school-day interactions are more than meets the eye—that beneath the canon bullying and antagonistic relationship, there are quiet, fleeting, intimate moments between the two. With this knowledge, the secret crush trope becomes much more plausible and ultimately, makes The Auction a much more satisfying and enriching reading experience.

SETTING: The Auction whisks you away into a dystopian fantasy world, yet doesn’t deviate far from canon Harry Potter to the point that it’s unfamiliar and jarring. Steeped in canon lore, LovesBitca8 masterfully takes magical concepts like Potions, Occlumency, Dark Arts, whatever—to craft a truly thrilling story that will delight fans who loved the whimsical imagination of JK Rowling’s original world.

For readers who are wary of consuming such a dark and twisted premise, let me mention that it is not entirely dark throughout. In fact, there are moments which are utterly wholesome and fluffy. The Auction is dynamic enough that you don’t feel bogged down with macabre dread the entire read. In times of high tension, the fear and horror is palpable. In quieter times in which the narrative has time to breathe, there are moments of safety, security, and hope.

The majority of The Auction takes place in two central locations, which I won’t divulge. It is worth mentioning, however, that these places nearly become characters in their own right—they are so immersive and full of personality that it truly makes you feel like you are there.

EXTERNAL PLOT: I know I contended that at its core, The Auction is a romance story. Let me be clear—this does not mean that romance eclipses the external plot. The two plot threads are interwoven so masterfully and complement each other well that at no point was I tempted to skim ahead to “get back to the good part”. The external conflict is amongst one of the most unique, thrilling, and compelling plots I’ve ever read. Somehow, LovesBitca8 will have you rooting for people you never expected to.

Because the story is written through Hermione’s perspective (and thus, she is our reliably unreliable narrator)—there is so much mystery and unknowns. Half of the fun is watching how LovesBitca8 slowly peels back the layers and reveals the plot to us through Hermione’s eyes as she is sequestered away as a sexual slave.

Narratively, there is no scene wasted. Every interaction and dialogue, even the seemingly inconsequential ones, serve a purpose to the overall story. There are Easter eggs, references, and callbacks scattered throughout, and everything is satisfyingly resolved at the end. I can’t give too much away because the plot twists are mindblowing, but I will say this: I had absolutely no idea how anything would conclude. It was a delight to allow LovesBitca8 to take us through this volatile journey. Even though the story is written through Hermione’s unreliable perspective, it’s clear to the reader that there is always something going on behind the scenes—pieces moving slowly, simmering and unfolding at a steady pace, eventually coming to a head and boiling over and the final result is explosive.

ROMANCE: If you’ve read my rationale for my scorecard development here, you already know that I judge a successful romance story by the author’s ability to pace both the emotional and sexual payoffs. LovesBitca8 absolutely crushes this aspect. The Auction is a slow/medium burn, but even when the payoffs occur, there is still so much drama left to resolve that you’ll continue reading to the very end with equal vigor.

Aside from the perfect pacing, I do want to mention this: In most love stories, there is usually a grand romantic gesture that the male lead performs that makes us swoon. In The Auction, there is not one, but several, of these gestures. Our dear, lovesick Draco is the ultimate hopeless romantic, in which he doles out these gestures in spades. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and where can I find my own Draco?

Sentimental reader, prepare to have your sappy shipper heart shattered into a million pieces like the Malfoy Manor chandelier.

SMUT: Ah yes, smut. The reason why we all read Dramione! The Auction is a steamy fic, in which our characters are placed in sexual situations early on. Because the world is so bleak, this might not be arousing for readers who are looking for wholesome smut (I still found it arousing because I am lifetime pervert). However, fear not! These earlier scenes add so much to the unresolved sexual tension that when the actual sexual payoff occurs, it is intimate and beautiful and wholesome and pure and brilliant and everything I could have ever asked for. I’m pretty sure I nearly cried at how THE sex scene was so sweet and innocent, despite our characters living in such a horrifying world. And yes, it is explicit and detailed and so, so, so very sexy.

What I absolutely loved is that LovesBitca8 didn’t include the smutty scenes for the sake of smut. They were tastefully done; not a scene out of place.

DRACO CHARACTERIZATION: LovesBitca8’s version of Draco is a Death Eater who is forced to participate in truly horrific acts. However, this is no High Reeve Draco in which he is a dark, edgy, desensitized, lethal, toxic, slightly unhinged, antihero. This characterization of our favorite boy is a young, innocent, lovesick teenager with a heart of gold, underneath a thin, unconvincing veneer of high-ranking Death Eater.

Draco is incredibly determined, tender-hearted, intelligent, protective, and reliable. His best character trait is that his capacity to love is an endless reservoir, yet he hides the best part of himself from the rest of the world. Oh sweet, sweet boy.

Nevertheless, he can be dark and edgy and ruthless when the situation calls for it. I absolutely love him.

HERMIONE CHARACTERIZATION: At this point, I know we already discussed the “secret crush” trope to death already—but if I were forced to provide any criticism, it would be here.

Even readers who have read the retcon that LovesBitca8 revealed in TRTTD may have some trouble understanding Hermione’s feelings for Draco. Canon Draco was truly terrible to her, so why does she still harbor a schoolgirl crush on him? Especially if he’s on the side of a war who treats her friends as subhuman and tortures them? The only way that I can resolve this is by rationalizing that Hermione is young—just a teenager—and her affectionate feelings can be chalked off as puppy love. But even then, not the strongest rationale.

However, I fully understand that Hermione has to be characterized this way for plot purposes—if she were not, the masterpiece that is The Auction would cease to exist.

If you can suspend your disbelief, I guarantee you that LovesBitca8’s version of Hermione will become one of your favorites.

Like much of canon Hermione, she is capable, kind, selfless, intelligent, loyal, and willing to do anything for the cause. In this regard, she doesn’t deviate far from a Hermione we are all familiar with.

But what makes THIS Hermione unique is that she doesn’t have much of the typical traits that you’d expect of a Gryffindor heroine, who is naturally headstrong and brave and quick to action. Those elements are certainly there, but they simmer below the surface. On the outside, Hermione is bookish, introverted, innocent, demure, and sensitive, with a quiet inner strength. She’s much more of a Ravenclaw to me. But when the situation calls for it, she sheds this veneer and unleashes her inner Gryffindor, particularly when she fights for those she loves. And those moments are so much more satisfying.

Magically, Hermione is also very competent and capable, and seeing how she relies on her intellect both strategically and academically was a blast to read. She isn’t just a bland love interest, she’s a heroine in her own right—and therefore, one of my absolute favorites.

SIDE CHARACTERS: Is it even fair for LovesBitca8 to excel in yet another category? No, it is not, but here we are. The side characters in The Auction were fucking outstanding. Not a single character’s potential was wasted. Although written entirely from Hermione’s POV (which, as we know, is unreliable), the side characters were all so well-crafted. Even though they weren’t in the spotlight, their presence added so much dimension to the overall narrative and world-building.

LovesBitca8 is such a narrative genius that at all times, even in the quiet moments, the reader can sense that something is brewing, simmering, behind the scenes. The story is never stagnant, always alive. And that is achieved because of how she handles the side characters. Every single one of them are shrouded in mystery and have hidden agendas, which makes the inevitable payoff and reveals so satisfying.

I will say this: The Auction is the only fic in which I would give up an eyebrow to read companion pieces from the perspectives of other characters. I’d be happy with Cho, Ginny, George, Pansy, George, heck, even Oliver Wood! And those are characters that Dramione lovers (or at least, myself) normally don’t care to read about. That should tell you a lot.

TECHNICAL WRITING: Not much to say about LovesBitca8’s writing style, except that it is effective. She is efficient, concise, and doesn’t rely on prose or lyricism to evoke emotions. Stylistically, this works well, because there is just so much plot to cover—in my opinion, pretty, expressive writing may be better suited to shorter pieces of work.

Here is where LovesBitca8 shines: she has the ability to unfold a narrative in such a way that it feels like the reader is solving a jigsaw puzzle without the box for reference. She offers up JUST enough information and detail to keep you hooked, but not enough to know where the story will ebb and flow—but when you reach the reveals and payoffs, you see the whole picture and it just makes sense.

The genius that made us all fall in love with JKR’s work—the moment when we realized how much forethought and pre-planning went into the entire series—is evident in The Auction. LovesBitca8 drops in so many callbacks, references, and Easter eggs (in The Auction itself as well as TRTTD/ATWT) that it adds so much more weight upon reading it again. And yes, you’ll have to read this a second time through to truly appreciate the mastery of the planning!

CLOSING THOUGHTS: If you’ve gotten this far through this love letter (I mean, ahem, review), I hope I’ve convinced you to pick this up for your next binge. It’s safe to say that The Auction will remain fresh in my mind for years to come—it is a piece of art that is truly of the utmost quality and has changed my standards of what exceptional art could be.

It would be remiss if I didn’t address the ending, which actually caused quite a controversy. Many people weren’t satisfied with the ending. I am not one of them, and I will die on this hill. The main criticism I hear is this: people simply wanted more. More Draco, more Hermione, anything! Admittedly, I understand this! We’re all getting separation anxiety of having to part with this beautiful story. But (perhaps it is because LovesBitca8 is a playwright), I felt she absolutely stuck the landing—The Auction ended at the perfect moment to create the maximum emotional impact. If this were adapted into a film series, I’m confident the writers and director would have executed it this way, as well. Anything more would have diluted or compromised the final emotional impact.

(That isn’t to say that I wouldn’t go FERAL for additional companion pieces in this world! Please, have mercy on us, LovesBitca8?)

Lastly, you may have noticed that unlike all the other reviews I’ve posted, I refrained from the “if you are looking for XYZ type of fic, this may not be for you” disclaimer. You’ll find no such warning here. I staunchly believe that every Dramione reader gets their hands on this—hell, even if you aren’t a fan, this is a must-read! I’ve read complaints that The Auction wasn’t dark enough; that they wanted a different, less wholesome Draco, more dub-con, whatever the case may be. Though that may be your preference, I still think you’ll thoroughly enjoy this masterpiece.

The only reason I would stay away from this is if themes of rape, torture, or sexual slavery are particular triggers for you.

But if not, let me say: RUN DON’T WALK! You can thank me later.

And my favorite Dramione Audiobook, @etl-echo-audiobooks , does a fucking phenomenal reading of this. ETL Echo, thank you for saving me hours of scrolling on my phone and allowing me to experience The Auction while driving, doing laundry, cooking dinner, everything!

And finally: LovesBitca8, thank you, thank you, thank you, for your labor of love, for your magnum opus. The Auction is truly a work of art that changed my life. My head is still spinning that this was freely gifted to us fans. You are an absolute treasure, and we don’t deserve to have you in this fandom!  

IF YOU LIKED THE AUCTION, YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Manacled by SenLinYu

 (…uhm. Community, help me out here, I’m woefully behind on reading—will update this section with suggestions from you!)

Amazing drawing for my story created by lovely @elivrayn

Draco’s point of view when his life gets shaken from the core because of a magical contract signed by his parents.

Evening in Malfoy Manor✨🦋

It’s the smell of it. Chemical. Bitter and sharp as a raw edge on metal. Just a hint of it as she passes him at breakfast — but enough to stop her dead, mid-step.  There is Wolfsbane in his tea.

Wrongly accusing people of plagiarism when you don’t know the facts is just fucking sad.

No one should receive death threats, it’s not okay, and mbw specifically requested that friends/fans of her work not ‘dogpile’ on the author, regardless of what may have happened; that the space remain positive!

I was reading a Jily fanfic (a oneshot) and some of the plot points/scenes/interactions in it seemed to be VERY similar to ones your World of Wait and Hope series. I left a message asking if they had read it but I wasn't sure if you would maybe want to check it out and see for yourself if the similarities were a bit too close or anything?

You don't have to share this obviously, I just thought you might like to know!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36844396

hi anon,

thank you for the heads up. looks like words has slipped out anyway, so i'll address this publicly. i think anyone who takes the time to skim these ~30k words will see that it is heavily inspired by w&h to the point that it uses many of the same plot points and story beats, metaphorical imagery, and in some cases, nearly identical lines of dialogue. i do not claim ownership over the memory loss trope, nor do i have any delusions that my fanfiction--a derivative, transformative work--is owed any real protections in terms of ip.

as such, i have an open transformative works policy, as posted on my ao3: "I welcome most transformative works, such as writing inspired by or in the same universe as my stories, translations, bind-ups, art, playlists, etc., and would love to see the results! Please do not repost my work on other sites or use my works in any for-profit way."

ao3 has an "inspired by" function as part of the posting process, and several people have used it in the past to credit my works as inspiration for their own. in this particular instance, even though i think the line between remixing and copying has been crossed in several places, had the author simply acknowledged inspiration from my story i wouldn't have batted an eye at it.

ultimately, things like this are annoying, but not entirely unexpected in a space built on transformative works. nor is it the first (or likely the last) time this has happened to me or many other fic writers.

One of the most frustrating (and frequent) criticisms I got while writing The Minister’s Secret that I absolutely did not understand was the insistence by some readers that I had somehow written Hermione as “unstable” because “she cries too much”.  It was confusing because I didn’t believe these readers read the same books I did.  Even super unobservant Harry noticed Hermione crying A LOT in the books.

So, to prove my point, I reread all seven of the canon books and wrote down every single time Hermione cries or is believed to have cried.  Because the list is actually very long, you can read them (and therefore see that I did NOT write Hermione “out of character” because she cries) by clicking the “Keep Reading” button below.

While I won’t guarantee that I was perfect and got EVERY single instance, I found plenty.  Seventy-one instances to be exact.  (Please let me know in an Ask or a reply or a reblog if I’ve missed one.) SEVENTY-ONE times that Mr. Unobservant actually witnessed her cry.  That’s a lot!

I understand that there are a lot of readers in this fandom (and some writers too which absolutely blows my mind honestly) that have never read the canon books.  Honestly, I don’t think there’s an excuse not to.  They’re wonderful books.  But, if you’ve never read the canon books, don’t tell me or any other writer that they’ve written a character OOC … because chances are very good you don’t actually know what you’re talking about.

And now I’m curious to do the same thing with The Minister’s Secret just so I can compare how many times she cries in that story with the books.  I think they’ll be pretty comparable.  Lol!

And we're officially done.

Chapter 84: Love In A Time Of The Zombie Apocalypse

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28137807/chapters/91176397

I mean, even when his parents were in constant danger in sixth year, when Voldemort could have killed them anytime, anywhere with just a heartless flick of a wand, if Draco screws up just a little bit, he still couldn't kill Dumbledore. Not after multiple, half-hearted tries. He still didn't have the heart to kill an innocent person. That doesn't scream "this person could turn into a violent murderer" to me. I find Draco in the ‘looks like he could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll’ category.

If I were to name characters that could turn dark, it's mostly likely to be Hermione, who has latent psychopathic tendencies (the degree to which she is driven by logic and an unapologetic ends-justify-the-means mentality that causes her to do things like set Snape on fire and curse Neville and kidnap Rita Skeeter make for a far more convincing platform from which to go dark, plus she is absolutely ruthless for the people she loves, for example, erasing her parents' memories of her and shipping them off to Australia, i.e. the ‘looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you’ category) or even Harry (again, extremely driven by a ‘THIS HAS TO BE DONE’ mentality which could easily be tainted by any sort of bad influence), or Tom, who is canonically without empathy (obviously ‘looks like he could kill you, could actually kill you’), but almost never Draco.

Again, I'm not hating or complaining on any fic or writer. I just thought it might be fun to look at dark characters or characters who could turn dark in literature, and the Harry Potter characters happened to be some of them. This is just my two cents on the topic.

This is very interesting!! Hermione definitely would be the darker one.

That aside, there is a key thing worth noting: in fiction, writers who aren’t personality or clinical psychologists are unlikely to accurately portray the types of behaviors / clusters of behaviors that typically manifest with / constitute personality disorders unless they do a great deal of research. Most do not. So the premise of this debate is flawed given that the characters do not consistently engage in the patterns of behaviors that people with personality disorders probabilistically demonstrate.

Draco and Hermione’s psychology is not, in fact, real. Some writers aim for realism with the inner workings of personality and the disordered ways it can manifest in individuals, but JKR wasn’t one of them.

Setting this aside, there is one point in OP’s thesis I’m sympathetic to, but the others I strongly refute. I’m skeptical that Draco Malfoy, exposed to what we saw him exposed to in canon, could become a sociopath, so I have no problem with OP’s contention that there’s less canonical evidence for that characterization. A preponderance of evidence suggests psychopathy manifests at a young age, and we saw little of Draco Malfoy in the books that would suggest psychopathy. However, OP is fully conflating “dark” with “self assured / powerful,” which is a misrepresentation of the science.

Empirically speaking, a “dark” personality would be encapsulated by the famous dark triad, and I see a fair amount of evidence that Draco does in fact demonstrate the propensity for one of said traits— specifically Machiavellianism, which entails manipulation, callousness, and indifference to morality. Just think of how he manipulated the situation with Buckbeak, and his role in the High Inquisitorial Squad, and his willingness to flatter and manipulate and coerce professors to get his way.

I also object quite strongly to the argument that Hermione has latent psychopathic tendencies. OP is misrepresenting what it means to be a psychopath, which involves a lack of empathy, extreme deficiencies in emotional response and regulation, and a marked lack of impulse control. It would be tiresome for me to list the many instances in canon in which Hermione displays appropriate emotions, empathic tendencies, impulse control, etc., but she certainly does not demonstrate the violent, severely deviant and antisocial behaviors that typically manifest in psychopaths from an early age (which Tom Riddle did in fact demonstrate).

I guess I’ve read a bunch of works and think that I’ve read as many dark!Hermione stories as dark!Draco stories. And they are all fun.

I really love this sociopath!Lily story, though. Obviously, the author studied this a bit.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14408904

But the amount of hours it takes to study PDs in order to somewhat accurately portray one, and then to apply it correctly to existing fictional characters, is not something that I would expect from most authors. Especially fic authors, who are doing this for fun.

Canonically, it appears that Hermione was bullied somewhat as a child pre-Hogwarts, and therefore might have garnered some traits as perhaps her parents rather left her alone instead of giving her healthy coping strategies. However, it appears that her parents did give her love, so only some PDs might be available to her. (I.e. she could never be borderline, unlike in that Lily story.)

With Draco, we see that his father’s values essentially amount to [we have money and who has the money makes the rules]. We see that Lucius has no problem killing children (in OotP), so those values can easily be passed to Draco. So, Draco grows up learning that position (which we see him put into practice with Buckbeak), so I don’t really see any problem with him being a child and having problems executing murder and then growing into the role as he grows up.

I mean, even when his parents were in constant danger in sixth year, when Voldemort could have killed them anytime, anywhere with just a heartless flick of a wand, if Draco screws up just a little bit, he still couldn't kill Dumbledore. Not after multiple, half-hearted tries. He still didn't have the heart to kill an innocent person. That doesn't scream "this person could turn into a violent murderer" to me. I find Draco in the ‘looks like he could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll’ category.

If I were to name characters that could turn dark, it's mostly likely to be Hermione, who has latent psychopathic tendencies (the degree to which she is driven by logic and an unapologetic ends-justify-the-means mentality that causes her to do things like set Snape on fire and curse Neville and kidnap Rita Skeeter make for a far more convincing platform from which to go dark, plus she is absolutely ruthless for the people she loves, for example, erasing her parents' memories of her and shipping them off to Australia, i.e. the ‘looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you’ category) or even Harry (again, extremely driven by a ‘THIS HAS TO BE DONE’ mentality which could easily be tainted by any sort of bad influence), or Tom, who is canonically without empathy (obviously ‘looks like he could kill you, could actually kill you’), but almost never Draco.

Again, I'm not hating or complaining on any fic or writer. I just thought it might be fun to look at dark characters or characters who could turn dark in literature, and the Harry Potter characters happened to be some of them. This is just my two cents on the topic.

This is very interesting!! Hermione definitely would be the darker one.

That aside, there is a key thing worth noting: in fiction, writers who aren’t personality or clinical psychologists are unlikely to accurately portray the types of behaviors / clusters of behaviors that typically manifest with / constitute personality disorders unless they do a great deal of research. Most do not. So the premise of this debate is flawed given that the characters do not consistently engage in the patterns of behaviors that people with personality disorders probabilistically demonstrate.

Draco and Hermione’s psychology is not, in fact, real. Some writers aim for realism with the inner workings of personality and the disordered ways it can manifest in individuals, but JKR wasn’t one of them.

Setting this aside, there is one point in OP’s thesis I’m sympathetic to, but the others I strongly refute. I’m skeptical that Draco Malfoy, exposed to what we saw him exposed to in canon, could become a sociopath, so I have no problem with OP’s contention that there’s less canonical evidence for that characterization. A preponderance of evidence suggests psychopathy manifests at a young age, and we saw little of Draco Malfoy in the books that would suggest psychopathy. However, OP is fully conflating “dark” with “self assured / powerful,” which is a misrepresentation of the science.

Empirically speaking, a “dark” personality would be encapsulated by the famous dark triad, and I see a fair amount of evidence that Draco does in fact demonstrate the propensity for one of said traits— specifically Machiavellianism, which entails manipulation, callousness, and indifference to morality. Just think of how he manipulated the situation with Buckbeak, and his role in the High Inquisitorial Squad, and his willingness to flatter and manipulate and coerce professors to get his way.

I also object quite strongly to the argument that Hermione has latent psychopathic tendencies. OP is misrepresenting what it means to be a psychopath, which involves a lack of empathy, extreme deficiencies in emotional response and regulation, and a marked lack of impulse control. It would be tiresome for me to list the many instances in canon in which Hermione displays appropriate emotions, empathic tendencies, impulse control, etc., but she certainly does not demonstrate the violent, severely deviant and antisocial behaviors that typically manifest in psychopaths from an early age (which Tom Riddle did in fact demonstrate).

The One O'Clock Gun

""There is a lake with still waters," he whispered. "A mountain range surrounds it. The waters are deep with hidden secrets, but the water is still."

She blinked, legs swaying, feeling her breathing even out as she let his words wash over her. His hands slipped around her stomach, pressing her close to him.

They lit the cannon. And screamed and stomped while they counted down.

"Think of your mind as a library. Shelves upon shelves of novels and journals and biographies," the voice lulled. "Find an empty shelf for this moment."

[...]

"An empty book in your hands. Its blank pages between your fingers. Write this moment into the book. Give it a title."

The One O'Clock Gun, her mind supplied."

The Auction - Chapter 18 by the talented @lovesbitca8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soooooo, I'm back 😅😭💀

One double jaw surgery and a new year later, here I am with another Dramione piece inspired by the amazing "The Auction" fanfic by Lovesbitca8. I've only recently started to read it and 'The One O'Clock Gun' part really struck me with its intensity. This fic is just amazing it put me right back into my Dramione phase and I'm not even mad about it héhé (I may or may not have developped a preference for *Voldemort wins* fanfic tags tho because of all the romantic angst/comfort it provides... /help me\)