Drarry Recs from H/D Erised
@hd-erised reveals are almost upon us! As always, there have been a ridiculous number of superb fics. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve stayed up till 4am (really, I have done all of those things while reading these stories). There are many, many fics from this fest that I’d rec enthusiastically - many of which I’ve recced here!! - and a few more I’m hoping to read before reveals. Among this incredible treasure trove, there have been a few that extra moved me and stayed with me, and I wanted to give them more formal recs before the fest comes to an end (and I’ll update with author info once it does - cannot wait to find out who these folks are!!!!) Absolutely recommend checking these out, and please remember to leave comments and kudos for these fantastic authors!!
Antediluvia - NC-17, ~57k - Everyone always forgets about the Merpeople. So did Harry until the day his, Lee’s, and Hermione’s Portkeys land at Reagan National Airport’s Arrivals dais. He’s just had to leave a job he loves and pack his entire life—literally—into his luggage. Then Malfoy and his subplots arrive, and suddenly, saving the world again, one Mermaid at a time, sounds like the perfect excuse to do something he’s always wanted.
This is one of the smartest, wow-est fics I’d read in a long time, and it blew me away, start to finish. It begins with Harry, Draco, Hermione, Lee, Padma, Blaise, and Narcissa being sent to the U.S. to resolve a dispute with Merpeople. As I wrote about a million times in the comments, JK Rowling could stand to take a few notes from this mystery author, as they develop a more complex and interesting mythology of American magic than anything in the extended canon, from the descriptions of different Mermish groups to the amazingness that is Kyle Malfoy. Every chapter, page, paragraph, etc., is filled with new observations that are funny and smart and that I’d like to keep forever. The politics of the story are dynamic and exciting, and the big reveal pays off with a bang. Through it all, Harry and Draco develop a deeper and deeper understanding of what they’re about and who they might become, individually and together, and their relationship comes together beautifully. Deeply interesting, deeply rewarding, and a lot of fun to read.
And, On The Other Side, A Welcoming Voice - PG, 39k - For twenty years, the official history has told readers that Harry Potter died at the Battle of Hogwarts. The next edition is going to require some significant revisions.
This story starts with a fascinating premise, and it only gets more interesting from there. Draco is killed briefly and finds Harry on the other side, pushing him back towards life. When he says as much to Ron, the Auror on his case, they set out to figure out whether Harry – who disappeared the moment he defeated Voldemort – might be able to come back to them. The relationship between Draco and Harry, as they chat in between life and death, is warm and lovely, and the story is full of wonderfully creative, coherent magical theory, and chuckle-inducing observations about the state of the world. Beautifully done and deeply moving, with thought-provoking meditations that stuck with me long after I’d put it down.
Boom Clap (The Sound of My Heart) - NC-17, 40k - Post-war Hogwarts has been energized by its new teaching fellows program. Where once bitter enmity divided the wizarding community, Malfoy and Potter chummily patrol hallways together whilst Granger and Zabini seek lost parts of the castle at McGonagall’s behest and Chang supervises Quidditch when not lecturing in Charms. It’s a veritable wizarding utopia and life is predictable for the first time in years. Which is, of course, when everything blows apart as the result of a drunken dare and Malfoy’s life is ruined beyond his capacity to repair it. Ever. In a million years.
Draco and Harry’s push-pull had me on the edge of my seat more than once. The UST (and aching unresolved emotional tension) between them, and Draco’s longing, were resonant and beautifully done. I loved the construction of the teaching fellows program, which puts them back at Hogwarts with more maturity and perspective than we often get in eighth year fics, and some very moving interactions with students. Add in a fabulous cast (including maybe my favorite Cho Chang ever, a delightfully snarky portrait!Snape, and a Blaise and Pansy to die for), gorgeous writing, and some astounding magic (the room of requirement makes an excellent, moving appearance) and you have everything you need for a brilliant story, which this very much is.
Bound To You – NC-17, 28k - Hag magic is capricious and unruly, and Harry and Draco are bound to stay by each other’s side until they can solve the riddle. In between long car trips, misty rain, and midnight star charts, they begin to understand each other.
This story grows beautifully. It starts with real antagonism between Draco and Harry, and real mutual skepticism between them. As they’re pushed together, the growth of their relationship is halting and feels realer for it, and it’s accompanied by a quiet respect that feels substantive and makes the payoff all the more rewarding. Along the way, we see some truly exceptional magic. Harry’s job as a magical cartographer sets the stage for beautiful explorations of magical space, and those, as well as the car rides he and Draco spend together, suffuse the fic with quiet beauty. The ending brings unexpected pieces together fantastically well, with a great twist that sheds light on magical history and the nature of Harry and Draco’s relationship.
The Full Four Seasons - NC-17, 49k - Draco Malfoy just wants a quiet life. He has a successful business, a lovely wife, and a delightfully horrible circle of friends. He’s fine. Or, he was fine until Harry Potter thundered into his life with all the subtlety of a blast-ended skrewt and turned everything on its head. Now he’s beginning to wonder if ‘fine’ is enough, after all.
On top of overflowing with incredible UST, this a fantastic coming out story. Harry and Draco’s chemistry is, it quickly becomes clear, undeniable, but that’s only one part of the story. Draco has to grapple with whether coming out is worth the substantial costs, and his story rings true in a million different ways. The writing is gorgeous, the supporting characters pop off the page, and the story itself kept me up till 4am, absolutely captivated from the first word to the last.
A Ghost in the Garden – NC-17, 27k - That night Draco dreams, and he is the ghost in his garden. He is both silvered figment and his own solid and flesh face pressing against the window, watching. Spinning and spun, haunting and haunted. Turned and turning, an open mouth with no sound.
Ohhhh, this story! It got into my heart so very quickly and stayed there. The atmosphere is incredible; every setting is beautifully drawn and immersive. It’s against that gorgeous background that we get a million fab tropes reimagined. This fic has case fic, auror partner H/D, forced proximity, forced bed-sharing, going undercover, pretend boyfriends – so many faves! And each of them done so that they feel fresh and original, and so that they contribute to an amazing, timely story that reveals quite a lot about how the wizarding world has changed in the years since the war, and how Harry and Draco find their way to each other in it.
Lumos – NC-17, 42k - Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.
This story does so much more than what’s on the tin! It starts with that classic, much loved, “Harry and Draco are back for eighth year and have to share a room” premise, but the relationship that develops between them grows as their physical relationship does. This fic has a million cool headcanons, the use of magic is beautiful and unique, and the writing is confident and sensual and an absolute pleasure.
