Open Doors ~ Z.S.
Summary: Harry Potter is dead. Or is he?
Draco opens the door. On his doorstep is a black cat. It is scrawny and pathetic looking. It shivers when Draco crouches down, and it growls but doesn’t bite when Draco pets it on the head. It has green eyes and a funny shaped scar on its forehead.
“Don’t think I don’t know exactly who you are, Potter,” he says. “What, did you expect me to be surprised? It’s not like you coming back from the dead is such a novel thing. What is this, number three?”
I’m just going to come out and say - I pretty much hate all animal stories. Yep, animagus ones too. I’m a cold-hearted bitch who holds the crown as the only person on tumblr who doesn’t think cats are cute, but despite my aversion to doe-eyed creatures, I thought this was undeniably adorable. It has a pre-HBP innocence that I found endearing, but manages to conjure a hint of Post-War darkness that is suprisingly in tune with a lot later work I read.
Also eerie line considering this was penned pre-OotP!
drarry . era:posthogwarts . l:short . oneshot . c:OotP . r:pg13 . g:humour . g:romance . t:wartrauma . a:z.s. .The Unfortunate Truth of Happily Ever After ~ Angelgazing
summary: Living in the aftermath isn’t as easy as it was supposed to be.
Harry is in training to become an Auror.
He defeats the arch villain of the story, saves countless lives and instead of declaring him ruler and king they send him back to school to teach him to be their guard dog, their bloody puppet.
Draco would sit back and laugh at the irony if it weren’t so absurd.
I normally find it very difficult to like fics penned before the series was complete, but this had a remarkably canon type feel (despite the fact it was AU after OotP). This isn’t a happy/sexy fic, or even enjoyable really, but that doesn’t bother me particularly - as I like variety as long as the characters are recognisable. I would say this was reflective, scarred, troubled and real however, but never bleak. It had a sort of ‘the bad’ before the ‘the good’ feeling to me. And although it’s perhaps a little “thoughtsy” for my taste, it is certainly evocative overall.
auror!potter . c:OotP . dark themes . drarry . era:posthogwarts . g:angst . l:medium . oneshot . r:pg13 . t:established . t:wartrauma . a:angelgazing .Snatch ~ didntyoupotter
Summary: Harry is comatose, Hermione and Ron aren’t much help, and Draco isn’t sure about anything anymore.
“Why are there two beds in Harry’s room?” Hermione asked, when she came to visit a few days later.
“Why don’t you ask Harry?” Draco said, and turned to leave.
Hermione grabbed his arm. “I won’t let you take advantage of him, Malfoy.”
“If I were taking advantage of him there wouldn’t be two beds, would there?”
OH SNAP! You just got out-bitchy-gay-logiced Hermione, how do you like them apples?! (sorry I’m in a weird mood…) This is sweet. And lovely. A great little three-part read. I love a good memory-loss fic, and even if Ron and Hermione felt slightly assassinated by the plot, I still really enjoyed it. Watch out for some classic Draco theatrics (bags by the stairs? really?), drunken fights, ill-tempered Harry and some mental *fireworks*. Also a beautifully cinema-worthy ending. Aww.
(Don’t be fooled there is angst. I never read anything without a least a little pain)
drarry . era:hogwarts . era:posthogwarts . chaptered . r:pg13 . c:OotP . AU . g:angst . t:disability . t:amnesia . a:didntyoupotter . lightside!malfoy . g:romance . l:medium .Guilty Pleasure Rec: Starts With a Spin ~ Maxine
It lasted less than two seconds, and that was too long for Harry. He pulled back almost immediately, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve, though it was completely unnecessary because there had never been a kiss that was more tightly close-mouthed than the one that he and Draco had just shared.
Malfoy was doing the same thing, cheeks growing a deeper pink to match the color that Harry could feel burning in his own.
“Well that was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever experienced,” Malfoy finally spoke up, breaking the deafening silence that had fallen. He sneered at Harry, and the green-eyed boy scowled right back.
“Not my fault you suck at kissing.”
“Oh, sod off, Potter.”
Ok, time to get majorly side-eyed. In fic terms, this is akin to that cheap-arse red lingerie thats hidden in the back of your wardrobe. You know the one that’s too slutty, and polyester, and makes you look like something off of ’babe-station’? But even though the modern-woman in you is screaming that you should find it shallow, and debasing, it makes you feel hot and dirty, and ready for a crotchless tumble in the mud with x-tina? This is my pleather get-up. Yeah, ‘Starts with a spin’ is pretty much just an excuse for gratuitous adolescent sex and voyeuristic Hogwarts sex-parties, but you know what? It’s fun. It’s not the best written fic, nor the most original, but it doesn’t take its self too seriously and come on, how could you not find pleasure and hilarity in a smashed, mini-skirt-wearing Draco, publicly dry-humping Harry up against a wall?
(Ouch, I can already feel the multi-pronged weapons favoured by the judgemental-taste-police. But at least it doesn’t do the whole; FIRST-TIME ANAL? ~ NO IT DOESN’T HURT, YES YOU FOUND MY PROSTATE FIRST THRUST, GIVE IT TO ME HARDER, IT’S NOT LIKE I HAVEN’T HAD SOMETHING CUCUMBER SIZED UP HERE BEFORE!!%$£ and there’s also gay Seamus so — case made I think)
drarry . era:hogwarts . chaptered . r:nc17 . c:OotP . AU . g:humour . g:pwp . t:guiltypleasure . a:maxine .The Long, Slow Sleepwalk Home ~ madsciencechick
He was still angry. He straddled the body and held it to the ground with his thighs, then punched it again, once, twice. The body stopped laughing, its breathing harsh and ragged, its eyes wide. He thought that its expression was probably defiant, but since he couldn’t see to be sure, he chose to believe that it was afraid. He put his hands on the body’s shoulders and shook it, hard. “We’re alive,” he growled. “We’re alive.”
The body began to bleed again.
I normally dislike Post-War fics that were conceived pre-HBP, but every now and then I read an AU that is so sprawling and dark and almost romantic in its pain, that it overrides my misgivings. This is it. I’m a fan of non-linear/alternative storytelling if done expertly and this is wonderful. There is another story within the construction almost. A thought process. Harry’s gaining awareness and self-preservation through denial. And I have a thing for h/d nursing one another back to from near-fatal injuries when strictly still enemies. Conflicted emotions and ever present hate – it wouldn’t be h/d if they didn’t insult each other as they come. There is love and hope here too though. And a poetic, phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes lasting note.
(Also shower-scenes are the hottest thing ever, don’t lie)
drarry . era:posthogwarts . era:war . g:angst . g:romance . l:medium . oneshot . r:nc17 . t:apocalyptic . dark themes . c:OotP . AU . a:madsciencechick .Letters To A Young Gentlemen ~ Halrloprillalar
Summary: The collected correspondence of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.
Potter,
Your denials are weak and unconvincing, just what I’d expect from someone raised by Muggles. I am now having all my post inspected by the house elves, so don’t bother with any more harassment.
As to your rude remark about my father, our solicitor assures us that Father will be released and fully cleared by the end of the month.
Perhaps your severed head would make a suitable welcoming gift for him.
DM
Malfoy,
I still don’t know what you’re on about. Unless you plan to kill me by boring me to death. Does reading your letters often cause people’s heads to drop off? Otherwise, you’ve about as much chance of killing me as you do of catching the Snitch.
Best of luck, though.
HP
I looooove Letter fics. Seriously I do. This has got that whole “I hate you but I can’t stay away” vibe. But funny. And perfect and succinct with tight, neat writing. Also a little rough and zesty. And short. Why so short author? I need more…Just go and read this, you will not regret it :)
drarry . era:hogwarts . l:short . r:pg . c:OotP . oneshot . g:humour . t:epistolary . a:halrloprillalar .Lights Out ~ marksykins
Summary: Harry’s the prisoner, Draco’s the warden who starts to believe his own lies
“Bet you ten Galleons I get out of here alive.” It’s gallows humour. Weasley knows he’s never leaving.
Draco plays his role. “Gutter rats don’t have ten Galleons.” He wonders how long they’ll question their prisoner; Weasley’s a high-ranking Auror and a staunch supporter of Dumbledore, so he’s bound to hold some useful information.
“Not a gutter rat anymore, Malfoy.” Ron’s face is deathly pale, his freckles standing out in stark contrast. “Where are you taking me?”
“Separating you from Potter,” Draco lies easily. Weasley’s only bargaining chip is as Potter bait, but Potter himself is already a captive.
First darkfic rec! YEESS. This was excellent. I may have mentioned before, but my absolute favourite fics (apart from the obvious plot/humour/angst/sex/well-rounded story gold) are short AU prisoner of war/captivate/safe-house type fics. And this was perfect. I wanted to lick my screen in a show of my undying appreciation. Tension, pain, dubious-morals, resolve (and a tiny smidgin of hope) READ.
