It’s a Tumblr event where every day throughout December, people make Harry Potter fanwork recommendations in response to a set of prompts. And I took part! I didn’t have a rec for every day, but I did for more than half, and the exercise helped clear some of my rec backlog. It was also an opportunity for me to use some of my artwork! In what follows, the background of each banner is my very own scanned watercolor or acrylic painting. 😊
Albus Potter and the Elixir of Erised by @bettsfic
After dropping out of Hogwarts, Albus moves to London and deals an addictive potion to Muggles. Now the most wanted wizard in the country, he goes into hiding at Malfoy Manor, enduring terrible withdrawal which renders him powerless in the hands of his best friend’s father: Draco Malfoy, the only man willing to help him.
I’ll never forget this, as the fic that brought me to the HP fandom and showed me just how incredibly good fic can be in general (because sadly, I hadn’t really known it before). 👌✨
But I also want to mention my first Harry/Draco fic, because nowadays I read almost nothing else (not even books):
Then Comes a Mist and a Weeping Rain by @faith2wood
It always rains for Draco Malfoy. Metaphorically. And literally. Ever since he had accidentally Conjured a cloud. A cloud that’s ever so cross.
With almost a million views, this one needs no introduction from me! I’ll just say I’ll always cherish the memory of it, for sparking my interest in Drarry and launching me into this beautiful, dizzying hyperfixation. ❤️
A Present by @faith2wood
HP Rec Fest, Day 2: a fic rated G — Harry/Draco 8th year fluff
Sometimes you just have to give yourself a present and kiss Harry Potter.
This is just the most perfect little morsel. It will lift your mood like the finest chocolate and make you smile whenever you remember it. So what if Christmas is weeks away? You deserve a present every day.
Draco in Darkness by plumeria47
Following an accident in his seventh year, Draco loses his eyesight. After Harry elbows his way into Draco’s dark world, both boys find themselves in a strange new friendship, and they each learn new ways to see each other … and themselves.
I loved this old fic so much, I think I read it whole in one sitting. There was something deeply relatable in the way Draco copes with his sudden disability, and also in the clumsy ways Harry tries to help him, and sometimes fails. Something very true about it all, that made me laugh and sniffle and grip the edge of my seat. Even though this was written in 2003, and therefore doesn’t hold up to newer canon, it’s a beautiful read and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s into Drarry.
The Sin in Your Grin (and the Shape of Your Mouth) by @xylodemon
The Order needed Sirius, but he doubted they’d mourn him very long when he finally disappeared.
It’s a deliciously gritty Sirius/Severus and Sirius/Remus story, featuring an unlikeable Sirius who is at the same time uncomfortably relatable, a truly dark atmosphere of growing desperation, and an ending that’s no less devastating for something we all know must happen. One of my very few non-Drarry bookmarks!
I have two contenders for this place in my heart:
All Life is Yours to Miss by Saras_Girl
Professor Malfoy’s world is contained, controlled, and as solitary as he can make it, but when an act of petty revenge goes horribly awry, he and his trusty six-legged friend are thrown into Hogwarts life at the deep end and must learn to live, love and let go.
Running on Air by eleventy7
Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry is assigned the cold case and finds himself slowly falling in love with the memories he collects.
These two stories are wonderfully complementary. Not only because the first is told from Draco’s POV, and the second from Harry’s, but also because Harry is, in a way, missing from the first half of ALIYTM just like Draco is missing from the first half of ROA, leaving the POV character enough room to untangle their own side of the relationship from the burdens of past grievances and present assumptions before he confronts the other. Both stories managed to put me in a deeply contemplative mood as well as make me brim with emotion, and oddly, both left me craving more after the end. It’s the sweetest ache.
Alphabet Soup by @phoenixortheflame
Harry Potter, investigative reporter for the Daily Prophet, leads a perfectly adequate life. When he’s not trawling back-alleys for a juicy story, he’s playing tea party with his favourite niece or eating curry with his former house-elf. Draco Malfoy, renowned chef in muggle Paris, was perfectly content living a life of obscurity. But when his mother’s health begins to fail, he must return to wizarding London and face his past. When Harry gets an odd assignment to interview the enigmatic chef of the new muggle-wizard restaurant Le Cerf, he’s reunited with his childhood bully – and is reminded just how much a person can change in ten years. Hijinks, mystery, and food-related dirty talk ensue when Harry receives an anonymous tip of a blackmarket dragon trade and enlists Draco to be his concierge into the shady underworld of the wizarding elite.
This is such a lovely, wholesome story. It’s so gentle and caring to our darling boys, who have definitely deserved it. Their reunion is among the sweetest I’ve read so far, and all their interactions after it are just incredibly heartwarming. (And then they turn scorching hot.) Add to that the delicious food, gorgeously described magical venues, a hint of a mystery shaped as a swan, and you’ve got your perfect holiday read. A true comfort fic, that will take good care of you too!
Twilight Eternal by @hsvh-hp for HD Tarot Fest
Wherever Draco is, the sun sits eternally on the precipice of setting. His father feeds his peacocks on the manor grounds. Harry is the only one who can communicate with Draco. A malevolent force haunts the house, nipping at Draco’s heels. Draco intended for himself to come to this place. He only wishes he could remember why.
This is an incredibly good and criminally underrated story. The suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat and the shadows lurking behind corners and inside dark windows will make your hair rise every single time. The resolution of the mystery came as a complete surprise for me, with its deep, intense humanity. And the love between Draco and Harry, suffusing every scene in the understated manner of complete, eternal devotion, kept the fear balanced with hope.
The clipped, dream-like narration of the first chapter is a bit challenging; it almost drove me away. But by the end of it I was hooked by the dark whispers. And I am so happy I kept reading, because it’s a masterfully woven tale that I’ll never forget and always recommend.
A Doll’s Tale by @faith2wood
Harry/Draco, as observed by Draco’s childhood doll. Please note, this doll is very self-absorbed.
This story packs a serious punch for something seemingly innocent and whimsical. There’s nothing truly heavy, angsty or dark about it, but it paints an incredibly compelling picture of a Draco as a gentle, sensitive boy hiding under the guise of confidence and cruelty, which is a bit tragic in itself. And then there’s the plot-twist, lol. It left me breathless. I want to take this fic and hug it when I go to sleep. 💛
Per my last letter (I hope you choke on it) by @fluxweeed & @lastontheboat
Dear Mr Potter, The answer is, and will remain, a no. Sincerely,Draco MalfoyAccounts Manager, Phoenix Press Or: the one where Harry has writer’s block and Malfoy isn’t helping.
Do you happen to love epistolary as much as I do? If so, run, do not walk. Apart from being Very Drarry and incredibly romantic, this is just so good and so funny, you’ll be making all your friends read it too. Bonus enjoyment guaranteed if you’re an author yourself! An absolute gem of a fic. ✨👌
Turn by Saras_Girl & podfic by Queenie_Mab
One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.
Talk about woefully inadequate summaries! At over 300K, Turn is probably the longest fic I’ve read/listened to so far, and one of the very best: both the story, and the reading. I listened to it over the course of many days, till it became a cherished companion, and I was sad to let it go. Need I say I loved it? It pressed all of my middle-aged buttons. It made me gaze into the middle distance, thinking about choices and regrets, it made me laugh, it made me cry. One scene even made me lose sleep, ehehe. Writing this, I feel like reading it again. Ahhh. If I ever decide to get a tattoo, it’ll be: T.U.R.N. iykyk
The Boy from the Piano Shop by @soliblomst
After going blind in a reckless attempt to avenge Ginny’s death, Harry battles with severe depression. One day, he stumbles upon a quaint piano restoration shop in the heart of London and meets the owner, a kindly old man, and his introverted young apprentice, whose voice sounds strangely familiar. As Harry and Draco slowly reconnect through private piano lessons, the small workshop becomes Harry’s refuge, offering him a glimmer of hope in a world without eyes. (Set five years after the Battle of Hogwarts)
This story is heartbreaking and wholesome, starkly realistic and hopelessly romantic, all at once. Harry’s grief is omnipresent and at times, truly, deeply harrowing; but it’s never gratuitous or melodramatic. And the pain is well-balanced by the peace and joy he and Draco find in one another’s company. The two scenes where Draco unexpectedly dons a scarf are guaranteed to remain in your memory forever. 🥹
There’s also this incredible art for it by @kk1smet!
This is the second fic where one of Drarry goes blind that I recommended during this fest (the first was Draco in Darkness by plumeria47, recced here). Fair to say this theme scratches some itch…
A Dark Place in Time by Leporella
What on earth was her son thinking, falling for Harry Potter of all people, Narcissa wonders. But after the death of her husband, she finds him useful in many, and sometimes surprising, regards.
This is a beautiful, unique story that explores love, pride and grief through the viewpoint of Narcissa Malfoy in the difficult days after Lucius dies. But as much as it’s about her love and loss, it’s also about the love between Harry and Draco, which we see in tantalizing glimpses as they struggle to navigate their fraught relationship through the straights of the family tragedy. An exquisite old piece that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.
vapour by @yiiiiiiiikes25
Draco’s getting cruised. Isn’t he?
I could’ve recced this outstanding piece on Day 18 (a fic that makes you laugh), Day 27 (smokin’ hot fic), Day 29 (a fic rated E) and Day 31 (the most recent fic you loved), but I picked Day 26 (a fic under 5k) because of just how much it achieves in under 5k. To be clear, it’s smut. Gloriously filthy, unflinching smut delivered from a POV so deeply entrenched it’s almost embarrassing to witness. But there’s more! This story, contained snugly in a single scene, contains all of Drarry: from obsession and stalking to regrets and lifelong pining, from enemies with stinging insults to lovers with slipped endearments, from a Draco brimming with sarcasm and entitlement to a taciturn, magically powerful, BAMF Harry, all of it communicated with vicious eloquence through the sharp teeth of Draco’s POV. The density of the prose may make the reading a bit of a challenge, but it’s incredibly rewarding, with many a beautiful, memorable turn of phrase. A huge pleasure to read, ponder and recommend.
Probationary Action by @toomuchplor
As part of the terms of the probationary contract, DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY shall submit for inspection his WAND on the last day of every month, such inspection to be carried out by a duly registered and fully qualified AUROR in the employ of the MINISTRY OF MAGIC, and such inspection to include a PRIORI INCANTATEM spell to ensure that no PROHIBITED MAGICS as heretofore described have been practised by the aforementioned probationer.
Gods, this fic. It’s 65k of porn with plot and both the porn and the plot are to die for, in that the plot is the perfect setup for the porn, and the porn is some of the hottest I’ve read so far. The anticipation that builds up in the beginning had me panting and sweating. I loved every sex scene, but it’s the sweet frustration of the first several chapters that I remember the most vividly. And then there’s the bewildering assortment of sex spells with their lovely latin incantations, fitting seamlessly into the underlying world of magic. This is actually one of my favorite stories in terms of world-building too! A most delicious treat.
The Illusion that One Can Get Things Right by umbrellaless22
Blindsided by Ginny’s sudden departure from his life, Harry struggles to care for his family—replete with a new baby. The situation plummets from disarray to pandemonium just as Draco Malfoy arrives to drop Scorpius off for a visit, because of course it does.
Ah, I’ve been looking forward to writing this rec. I’m not hugely into family stuff and especially kids (in fic as in life), but this story hooked me within the first few paragraphs. The premise – that Ginny would just up and leave Harry and all their children – might seem wild, but stranger things happen all the time. And the strain Harry is suddenly put under is so tangible, so humane and relatable, that saving the world couldn’t hold a candle to it. Enter Draco, also a single dad bearing a load of luggage of his own, with an intensity of character and purpose that I’ve only seen a few times so far across my HP reading. Although the story is tagged as slow-burn, and technically might be, in that significant word counts happen prior to smut, it’s actually an amazingly fast burn in terms of time within the narrative. But it feels entirely appropriate for the situation, and it’s incredibly cathartic and hot besides. Yet even hotter than the smut itself is (here I go again…) Draco’s competence. How I loved his effect on Harry, and James, and his valiant attempts to make the inevitable fall controlled! But what I loved the most about this story is its overall maturity, and I don’t mean the rating. The children were perfectly child-like, and the adults, delightfully, weren’t. I could probably go on for ten more pages, singing praises to characterization and bdsm and insane tension and well-handled conflict. But your time would be much better invested in reading the fic instead.
Glory by @mintawasalreadytaken
Every boy at Hogwarts knew about the hole.
I swear I didn’t blink once while reading this. It’s at once tense, poised, toeing some precipice, and unhurried, hazy, mellow. The sensory detail is exquisite: the sounds, the textures, the smells, all of it taking the smut to the next level. So beautifully written! And the ending packs an unexpected punch, even though it’s not at all difficult to tell what’s going on throughout. One of those pieces that will haunt you a long time after you’ve put it down.
A Case of You by @epitomereally
Draco was doing just fine working as an Unspeakable in Paris, hanging out with his living and ghostly pals, inventing new spells, and definitely not thinking about Potter. Then, Lucius just had to break out of prison and turn his world upside down. Now, Draco has to return to England, where he is forced to confront how family ties bind us—and one infuriatingly fit Harry Potter.
with a fabulous Podfic by @cailynwrites
I finished listening to this literally a few hours ago and I was blown away both by the story and by the amazing, singular reading. At just under 100k (12 hours), A Case of You is one of the most structurally complex and masterfully executed stories I’ve read in this fandom so far. From chapter to chapter, it alternates between a past and a current timeline, and although they’re connected, they’re basically two independent stories. The genius of the author is in weaving them in such a way that the suspense (arising both from the UST and the mystery) swells and subsides in both timelines at about the same time, so that the parallels between them constantly remind us of all the ways the characters have grown, and all the ways they stayed the same. Aside from the admirable craftwork, I loved this fic for its treatment of Draco’s post-war regret and remorse. His pride and his refusal to grovel in order to get into Harry’s (or anyone’s) good graces are immensely relatable and convincing, even when they stand in the way of what he (and the reader…) wishes. It’s a wonderful character study. And, as it often happens with great character studies, it’s also a wonderful, unforgettable romance that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
And that is that!