#war years

Drarry for Beginners: War Years

Speak (and may the world come undone) by @shealwaysreads (2020, E, 26k)

The war is on in earnest, and the hunt for the Horcruxes has begun. Harry receives help from the least expected person, and must decide whether he can trust the enemy he knows best. A story of grey-tinged loyalty, the silver of trust in the darkness, the agony of courage, the unexpected richness of secrets, and the vast unknown of survival.

There’s something devastatingly bittersweet about spy fics that @shealwaysreads captures so well here. This is a gorgeous, delicate and atmospheric canon rewrite that offers a lovely reflection on endurance, hope and yearning. It explores Harry and Draco’s struggles and love story as the war rages on and we ask ourselves whether or not they’re gonna make it to find each other again (spoiler alert: they do and it’s glorious!). The prose is poetic bliss, quiet and evocative, it makes us fall in love with these characters and cheer for their triumph. I love the serious but hopeful mood: there’s so much left unspoken but expressed through a quick gesture, an aching thought or a lingering gaze. Many lines took my breath away but all the anticipation is paid off with a gorgeous and intimate reunion that translates perfectly the wonder of loving and being loved in return.

A Thousand Beautiful Things by geoviki (2004, E, 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.

An old epic, this is one of the most impressive fics I’ve ever read, intelligent, touching and mature. Without giving too much away, it’s a canon divergent retelling that starts after book 5 and follows Draco’s journey working as a spy for the Order. It has my favorite opening scene of all time (just reread it and got attacked by feels again) but the best thing about this story is the non-linear narrative told by multiple and excellent POVs. I remember loving the exercise of unraveling the chain of events and putting the puzzle pieces together on my own. Draco is a complex and fascinating character in his motivations, bravery and flaws - I’ve never seen a fic explore his interactions with other characters (namely his father, but also Snape, Dean and the Manor itself) like this. Both the word building and his character development, from war spy to the modeling life, are rich and compelling. I won’t elaborate on how Draco and Harry come together because there’s an important plot point there but I can say that their dynamics are earnest, gentle and just as moving and heartbreaking as Draco’s own arc. They’re not friends at first but Harry needs Draco’s help and Draco’s there for him and things develop from there. This is an unique read and it deserves all the praise for pulling off a nuanced and convincing spy story. Lastly, the quotes chosen to guide the fic are quite evocative - they even include a few Brazilian songs, yay!

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrims0n (2015, E, 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.

Last night I asked y’all to send me palette choices for character studies and I got several folks asking for Renaissance, which thrilled me cause *GUH* it’s such a pretty set of colors. 

So, here’s Draco, stressed the eff out, during the war. I have a slight obsession with him developing a smoking habit during those years. As always, I can never decide things so here’s him with two background options. Which one do you prefer? 

Looks like tonight’s Love Boat is going to have two “masts”.