#2020rec

2. Every Kingdom - @thistle-verse - 7k - E - Every kingdom needs a prince. Every prince needs a good and useful knight. Draco and Harry play their parts and renegotiate some borders while they’re at it.

So, so lovely. Even though I don’t read them very often, alternate universes fascinate me so much, and I am in awe of the author for being able to pack so, so much story, so neatly into 7k words. This features a princely, lonesome Draco, a charming, golden Harry, and a blossoming love that could change everything. It’s beautiful, and I recommend it deeply.

3. The Bucket List - GallaPlacidia - 32k - Draco will die in six months if he can't get Harry Potter to fall in love with him. Since that's not going to happen, he might as well spend his last days working through his Bucket List. Tap-dancing lessons? Rock climbing? Poetry-writing? Threesomes? Cocaine? Getting to know his adorable cousin, Teddy Lupin? Draco will try them all! Feat. Cheerily pessimistic Draco, devoted bitch queen Pansy Parkinson, and a Harry who can't help but notice that something seems DIFFERENT about Draco, these days.

I’m positive that many, many of us got acquainted with GallaPlacidia’s writing this year, and I, too, fell in love with it. This story aches in the most beautiful of ways, the humor happens to be somehow light in such a difficult circumstance that it ends up hurting when you laugh, it hurts when everything is right because it’s also wrong, it aches when it’s supposed to be a happy moment and feels tender and sweet when it’s not. I can’t even imagine the challenge of writing this kind of story, and they pulled it off beautifully. It’s a lovely story, one you will take with you long after you finish it, and, personally, I think it’s a great introduction to the author’s writing. 

4. halcyon days - @the-starryknight - 1.3k - T - Sleepy mornings caught while the sun rises are reserved for silly word games and soft touches and feelings.

Oh my god, the amount of tenderness in such a low wordcount made me weak in the knees. I almost couldn’t take it. Being able to convey such a deep emotional connection in a short story seems like such a daunting task, and the author makes it seem almost effortless. I guarantee that this will make you bring your hands to your chest and sigh with how lovely it is. Reading it will be the best ten minutes of your day. 

5. Clouds That Veil the Midnight Moon - @drarrytrash - 37k - E - According to Harry’s personal narrative regarding the incident, he’d hooked up with Draco Malfoy for purely self-destructive reasons, or out of convenience, or by some unlucky accident. Looking at him, sprawled in the moonlight, Harry is devastated to recall that he’d hooked up with Draco Malfoy because he’s hot. Draco is a secret werewolf and Harry is doing his best and they've got criminals to catch, darn it.

Reading this, I found myself laughing out loud, nodding profusely with how freaking spot on the characterizations are. The dialogue is amazing, so hilarious and real and Harry’s inner monologue is so, so him. I love everything about this story. I have a soft spot for werewolf fic, and this one hit everything I love about it, the case is interesting and engaging, the incidental characters, the OCs, Ron and Hermione, everyone and everything is absolutely perfect and I had an absolute blast reading it. You HAVE to read this and see for yourself what I’m talking about. 

6. Sex Ed for Aurors - curiouslyfic - 8k - M - Some things, you need to learn on the job.

Oh my god this is so freaking good. The premise is, basically, that Harry is accidentally doused with a lust potion while in the vicinity of Draco, and suddenly wants him more than anything. I loved this take on that trope, we’re in Harry’s head, and it’s absolutely hilarious and endearing to experience the near childish glee he feels whenever Draco looks his way, when he smiles, when he feels he’s made him happy, meanwhile Draco and Ron are horrified and doing whatever they can to correct it. This is so funny and such a good time, I can’t recommend it enough! While you’re at it, you should definitely read megyal’s remix of this, which is also a blast. 

7. plasticine porters with looking-glass ties - @bonesliketambourines - 15K - E - Lately, Harry thinks things don’t seem the same between him and Draco. His head is in the clouds when he thinks about what their relationship is now, and where it might be headed—he’s happy with their friendship, but he wants something else. A potions accident over a lunchtime visit to Draco’s lab (what does he get up to in there, anyway?) changes things, though, and accelerates their relationship faster than either of them had ever expected. How are they going to get through this new development together?

Atmospheric, beautifully-written and delicious. Their relationship is tender, just on the edge of something more, when they’re forced to quarantine together and face the effects of a potion that makes them see and feel things differently, which makes for the most intense, visual, gorgeous sex scene I think I’ve ever read. It’s just absolutely phenomenal. 

8. i wake up falling - warmfoothills - 9k - M - Draco’s always leaving, one way or another. Harry’s usually 240 thousand miles too late.

In trying to come up with a way to summarize this story, I’m feeling the overwhelming urge to cry again, just like I did when I read it. It’s just so, so, beautiful, every single word of it aches in the best way, the longing feels deeply authentic and just, the setting and the jobs and everything is so unique and gorgeous. Every single work by this author is beyond beautiful, but especially this one is incredibly close to my heart and I think everyone should read it. It’s a gem. 

9. In Every Universe - @skeptiquewrites - 27k - M - They sent Professor Harry Potter to search for Unspeakable Draco Malfoy. Draco has stolen a Firebird, an experimental magical device from the Department of Mysteries that lets you enter parallel universes as yourself. As Harry traverses from universe to universe, he begins to think Draco might be the one searching for him. A story about whether knowing what's possible makes it possible.

Stories where the characters find themselves somehow hopping from one reality to another are always so, so fascinating to me, and this one is incredibly creative and well-written, so entertaining all around. The mystery of it kept me on my toes, and every single reality was a joy to read. 10/10

10. Life goes not backward - @shealwaysreads - 8k - T - Harry still isn’t used to gifts, but this one is different. A story of coming home, finding safe ground, and the wild courage of putting down roots. Leaving one life behind isn’t always a sacrifice, and sometimes the greatest good comes from embracing the people you love.

My god, there are not enough words to describe how much this story means to me, how beautiful it is, how every single time I’ve read it, I’ve cried. Bella has undoubtedly become one of my absolute favorite writers in fandom. She has such a way with words, there is not one of her stories that hasn’t touched me, that doesn’t feel like an actual, full-length novel no matter the word count. I read so many of them this year, so many of the masterpieces she’s gifted us, but this one especially is so tender, so dear, that I ended up choosing it as my favorite of hers this year. Harry’s charactertization, the unbelievable warmth of their relationship, absolutely everything about this is gorgeous. Go read it, right now, and then binge all her other works!! You won’t regret it.

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2. How to Handle a Matzo Ball Soup Emergency - Blowfish_Diaries - 22k - M - Harry, having left the Wizarding World after his divorce, inherits a deli in a trendy part of London. Draco wanders in and falls in love - with the food. And certainly not with the infuriatingly-fit-father-of-three who runs the place.A tale of growing up and families of choice; of awkward hugs and new best friends.

Probably the most heart-warming story I read this year. It felt like it treated my heart so tenderly, the relationship is lovely, and every single character is so warm and real. This features one of my absolute favorite tropes, found families, and it showcases everything I love about the trope – people who become a safe place, developing traditions together – it’s absolutely beautiful. 

3. you've got the antidote for me - Kandakicksass - 20k - M - When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want. He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.

This fic made my heart ache in every way. It started out so gray, and Draco’s loneliness became my own. Then color began to seep in, little by little, and I just absolutely adored how every relationship developed – without expectations, and, on Draco’s part, painted with a resignation that was sort of beautiful in its hopelessness, in how he knew how everything would end, and still just ... went day by day. I adored his friendship with Ron, I adored how, very slowly, everyone who started to get to know him, took to his particular brand of love unflinchingly, and I’m weak for the way things with Harry progressed into a slow friendship and understanding of each other, again, with zero expectations on Draco’s part. He grows so much in this one, and I can’t explain how much his journey touched me. Definitely worth a read. 

4. At Your Service - Faith Wood - 95k - E - Hogwarts students are in danger; Harry is determined to save them all. There's only one thing he knows for certain: Draco Malfoy is somehow involved.

I cannot BELIEVE I existed in this fandom for four years without reading this one. I feel like Faith Wood’s stories are pretty much a rite of passage in drarry fandom; I went through my phase of reading all their works pretty early on, but for some reason?? I had skipped this one until now, and oh my god the decision to dive into it was one of the best reading decisions I made this year. It is just exquisite, everything about it is point blank perfect, drarry in all its brilliance: the setting, the characterizations, the plot, the mystery, how it plays into tropes we know and love but giving them unique twists, everything!! Damn it, At Your Service walked so we could run with our eight year fics 😭 . If you’ve read it – man, I’m calling for a reread. If you haven’t, I promise you that you will not regret it for a second. 

5. as much a light as a flame - @p1013 - 6k - E - His mother paints a wolf on his chest, its eyes bracketing his heart, and its muzzle pointed towards his groin. His aunt fills in the spaces around his waist and ribs with symbols he's lost the meaning of in the wash of whatever plant had been mixed in with the steam. They move after her brush leaves his skin, turning from incomprehensible marks to his name to wolf to home to hunt and then back to misunderstanding again. His legs are painted in patterned bands, starting from his ankles and ending at his upper thighs. His groin is left unmarked, the pale and empty skin meant to leave no doubt of the Claim once he makes it.

I have no words for how stunning this is. The story is beyond brilliant, and I do mean conceptually, but also the storytelling, the elements it plays with, the illustration, which took my breath away as well, it was a perfect complement and told the story on its own. It is just so unlike anything I’ve ever read before, with the unique, fantastical setting, and the traditions it presents. It felt like a ride – at the end of it, I could not believe the wordcount, because it felt so expansive and the world-building was so incredibly masterful that it could’ve just as well been a full-length fantasy novel. It is very, VERY good and I highly recommend it. 

6. Wild - orphan account - 92k - E - “No,” Harry said, by way of greeting. Malfoy’s blonde head rose slowly, carelessly. “Get out.” “I feel as though we’ve already established this, Potter,” Malfoy responded. “And I feel that what we established was that you telling me to get out of places really doesn’t make me more likely to vacate them.” 

When I found Wild, I had been going through a bit of a reading slump, I was having a rough time and couldn’t focus on anything at all. And then I started reading this. It immediately captured me, the newness of the setting – a place I’d never read about before – the assortment of characters who are so deep and well developed, and just the way the whole thing feels so tender was something I could really relate to at the time, and that touched me, deeply. The boys are so different, and seeing Draco through Harry’s eyes, especially the frustration with which he regards him at first, makes it feel so special when we see it changing, little by little, and I love how, by the end, they’re not quite the perfect match but just want each other enough to decide to make it work. The magic was beautifully done as well, permeating every scene. The whole thing is really close to my heart, I recommend it immensely. 

7. Like Clockwork - agentmoppet - 39K - E - Draco has never been very good at trusting others, and Potter is no exception. But if they're going to survive this, they need to accept that they're holding each other's lives in their hands, and--worst of all--they're going to have to work together.

Oh my god this fic is so good. The premise is, basically, that there’s a cursed object and the boys find themselves having to work on it together. To do this, they get transported sort of inside the object, and whatever happens there, they won’t be able to remember once they come out. It was amazing and EXCRUCIATING and FANTASTIC to read the development that happened in their relationship while working together, and then read them come back out and mess it up day after day because they don’t remember. This is a ride, and so much fun you won’t be able to put it down until you finish. 

8. Through the Window, Clear Skies - @tackytigerfic - 1k - M - What would happen if Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy moved in together, too soon after they started kissing and then fucking and not hating each other anymore? Will Draco insist on a wine rack? Or: Domestic Drarry with a bare hint of angst.

The amount of beauty and tenderness held in a thousand words is just out of this world. I was completely floored when I read this, felt cracked open when I finished it. Tacky’s writing is, as always, absolutely gorgeous and lyrical, with sentences and sentiments that hit, hard. She was able to convey all the excitement and insecurity of a blooming relationship, and then the way you start find spaces where the other fits perfectly, as the dust settles. Just, beautiful beautiful beautiful. Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. 

9. Celestial Bodies - @shiftylinguini - 20k - E - “An astrological anomaly induced bond,” Harry repeats, deadpan, as the Head Healer of the Magical Malfunctions ward finishes announcing his prognosis. “Space magic,” says Draco, tapping long fingers irritably against the arm of his chair. “You’re saying we’ve been zapped by space magic.” The Healer huffs. “That’s rather simplifying things, gentlemen.”

I mean come ON that summary??? Bonding trope done incredible, sexy justice in this one, the kind of pining that feels beyond satisfying when it finally comes to fruition, and clever, amazing dialogue that had me nodding profusely the whole time. This entire fic is a great time, 10/10 recommend. 

10. The Four Doors - @fluxweeed - 48k - E - It’s been four months since Harry lost his memory. Four months of dead ends and no answers. With time running out until his memories are gone for good, Harry agrees to a course of Legilimency therapy with a renowned specialist: Mind Healer Draco Malfoy.

I don’t even know how to go about explaining everything this fic made me feel. First of all, it is just so good, the writing and the plot and the setting and the character development; every single aspect of it, simply great. One of those fics that feels top tier, amazing quality. But then the emotion?? The tension?? The way it all ends?? Harry’s mind being so confused about things we, the readers, DO KNOW?? It was so incredible, such a maddening, fantastic ride that had me clinging to the edge of my seat by the time everything came to a head. I started this without expectations, because I was new to the autor, and a few thousand words into it I wanted it to never, ever end so I could keep living in their writing, in THIS story, indefinitely. I never really sort these lists into any kind of order, they’re just a pool of fics I loved, thrown together – but if I did, if I decided to choose, if I decided to tell you the my very, very favorites, this one would be up there. YOU ALL GOTTA READ IT NOW.

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