Faint Indirections by @6balls
Harry/Draco (2019, Teen and Up, 29k)
Draco Malfoy is the last person Harry expects to turn up in Boston, Massachussetts. But now he's here, and he won't stop requesting books from the library where Harry works.
Harry doesn’t know what most of those stupid poems even mean, but still, he thinks Walt Whitman wrote them about someone who looked a way that made him feel like this.
Harry thinks of the one he read last night, “To A Stranger.” ‘You grew up with me, you were a boy with me… I am to see to it that I do not lose you.’
So I’ve been having these fucking crazy weeks at work (hence the recent fluffy reads) and now I’ve finally delivered my first project and things are starting to feel normal and familiar again, so I decided to treat myself to some ignatiustrout as I deserve 🙌🏼 I’ve read all their works more times than I care to admit but I gotta take long breaks between them because this author has a special way of leaving me too lost in feels and a bit incoherent for a couple of hours. It’s hard to explain the heartkick factor some fics have on us because it’s something incredibly personal but for me, ignatiustrout hits it, effortlessly, every damn time. Their writing is absolutely stunning and original, textured, with the right amount of character depth and worldbuilding that never fails to amaze me. The smooth set up, thought-provoking dialogue and brilliant characterization create an unique atmosphere, light and mundane but also full of meaning and quite bittersweet. I love many things about this fic but if I had to choose just one it would be the slow burn A+ quality. It’s so charming, with delicious, awkward bantering flirting through book titles, Halloween parties, denin jackets and oblivious Draco and Harry being caught off guard with FEELS. The big realization is always one of my favorite moments to read and this fic delivers it masterfully, then again I’m not even a bit surprised coming from this author!
Faint Indirections is what I personally consider a comfort read, soft and all-encompassing like a warm blanket, but something about the way Harry and Draco are written gives me a small lump in the throat. They feel so damn real - soft, yes, but also fragile and raw like an exposed nerve, and it’s impossible not to relate to, or feel empathetic about their issues and insecurities. For those who have enjoyed the magnificent Here’s The Pencil, Make It Work, this might as well be its counterpart, where Harry is the one helping Draco navigate the scary but liberating decision of “coming out” towards friendship, love and self-acceptance. This fic will probably break your heart a little bit, but in a very gentle and poetic way, only to put it back together and make you breathe again once you realize you’ve been holding it for one or two minutes. It is the most delicate story about growing up, starting over, finding yourself willing to learn and finding love along the way. What a privilege to have this author in our fandom!
