I was so excited to ask the wonderful @wolfpants to do the October rec because I knew she'd have the perfect spooky pick for us and they did not disappoint! I love the rec they picked - it's the perfect mix of suspenseful and scary - and I know you will enjoy it just as much!
When the lovely Drarry Librarian asked me to take the Halloween slot for Happy Hour, I was thrilled, honoured, and so very excited, because I had just the fic in mind for a spooky Drarry offering!
The sexy, spine-tingling, and mysterious…
Saltwater Stain, by @the-starryknight (9,000 words, rated M)
Seven days stuck on a boat investigating a rogue ghost wouldn't be so bad if Harry didn't want Draco so much. Draco has his rules and Harry's content to follow them, but the air feels different away from the shore. Is it possible that the sea could offer Harry something impossible on land?
Merlin. What a banger of a fic.
From the first sentence (‘The sun burned at the horizon, cresting across the wave-tips as far as Harry could see.’), I was completely enveloped in this seafaring gothic tale of forced proximity and psychological woe, where our heroes are faced not only with the open sea and the ghost that roams the mist, but with each other’s feelings—mental, emotional, and physical.
This fic is burning with atmosphere and tension. There’s just something so—classic, about how Starry has written this. It feels like folklore, like a piece of oral history; the kind of tale sailors warn each other about in old taverns before they set off to sea.
And then there’s the pitch-perfect pining and romance that underlines it all—how Harry wants to see and be seen by this Draco, how he wants to be loved and wanted by this Draco, who is studious and serious and embroiled in an uncanny twist of his own that ultimately plunges this fic into a deliciously ambiguous ending.
Also! Special shout out to: bed sharing, shaving kink, Draco in glasses, and to this passage in particular, which sent me into a coma:
“You’re so good,” Draco murmured, as he pressed Harry’s head back, the tip of his wand curving along the underside of his jaw. “Look at you,” he breathed into Harry’s ear. “You’d do anything for me.”
I said this to Starry once and I’ll reiterate it here—I return to this fic time and time again, and I think about it often. It is easily one of my favourite fics in the Drarry canon, and a must-read, especially if you’re a fan of mysteries and ghost stories and all things gothic. Go forth! Don’t be scared!
Thank you, @wolfpants for this awesome rec! You definitely picked the perfect weekend read in preparation for Halloween! And speaking of Halloween, stay tuned for some more spooky recs headed your way!
❤️ As always, if you find a fic you enjoy, please remember to leave the author a kudos or a comment! ❤️
Lots of Love and Happy Friday!