Author: @skeptiquewrites for @harrydracobang // Artist: @fantalf
Rating: E
Length: 67,300
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Warnings: Implied/Referenced Homophobia, implied racism, drug mention, Drunkenness, Drinking, Parental Estrangement, mentions of mental health issues, Exercise/Weight Lifting, Sports Nutrition
Summary: In the off-season Harry decided to fix up Grimmauld Place and found that Draco Malfoy was the only person who could help him. A demanding career and unrelenting press scrutiny were enough to deal with before Harry added a house with a mind of its own, family history, and a tense, flirty, complicated relationship with his childhood nemesis to the mix.
On professional Quidditch, magical houses, hard choices, Life Debts, and inconvenient truths.
This fic happens to have so many qualities I love, especially that I love when composed by one of my favorite authors, Skeptique. Yet, time and again, it feels fresh and new, combining sentient magical houses and professional Quidditch and a gorgeous, arching slow burn with family and magic and history in a way I never could have expected. This fic reads with all the love that @skeptiquewrites has put into it, in every line and every word. Here are just a few things I adored:
✮ So many incredible OCs and side characters. From people we know (Oliver, Percy, Pansy, Teddy and more) to brand new characters (Atty, Stella, Luc, Min-Woo, Coach), each feels well developed and has their own stories to add to Harry's and Draco's. I fell in love (and you will too) with them, especially with Atty, and found myself rooting for her just as much for Harry.
"You’re cool," Teddy said to Atty. Harry would never get to be cool, but Atty Blake took the crown on their first meeting. Probably because Harry had never punched anyone’s lights out in front of him.
✮ Rich details, perfectly composed. From Draco's unusual outfits to the furniture in the house and all of its stories, to the details of Harry's Quidditch training and matches, Skeptique shows her brilliant understanding of where and how detail belongs in a story, crafts magic with each small detail.
Three old silver rings on each hand. Delicate and mismatched. Harry wondered if he had to pencil in time in his morning routine to figure out exactly which details would make him look most like an antique-hunting shopkeep. It devastated Harry to discover he liked it.
✮ A well-earned slow burn. Draco and Harry have many stops and starts along the way of this fic, and yet each moment has time to breathe. Because of Skeptique's skill with pacing, the relationship feels genuine and well-earned at every stage, and the ending -- well, I'll let you wait to read it.
Draco was a terrible liar, once you had your eyes on him. He was too honest, as if he forgot that Harry could read the covetous glitter in his eyes versus Draco setting his shoulders back to remind himself of why this was a terrible idea.
As if @skeptiquewrites's writerly skill wasn't enough to entice you into this fic, you'll have the absolute pleasure of @fantalf's art. With three separate pieces, each more striking, tender, and sexy than the last, plus Fantalf's skill with color and detail to boot, you'll want to feast your eyes on "Home Truths" right away. Enjoy!
"The heart of this home is..."
