Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy

A lesson in negativity by Ociwen HP/DM [added August 2005]

I saw this called a post-war redemption fic and that's pretty much what it is. I particularly liked this one for its gentleness and the air of hope at the end. As much as I love a bit of angst, sometimes its just good to read something that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy at the possibility of a happy ending.

All bets are off by Allegra HP/DM

A romp of a story, with Harry the Hogwarts sex god getting his comeuppance via his schoolboy enemy. A betting syndicate; a reckless bet; lots of sexual tension and some hilarious set-ups wherein his schoolmates try to tempt Harry to break his vow of chastity. A right rollocking read!

And we are at our apogee by Nichole HP/DM

Draco gets entangled in his revenge. A Harry with his memory gone; a Draco who wants some form of recompense for all he has lost; a Snape who sees the whole picture and accepts that some things are bigger than ones own needs. Breathtaking in its execution, this is an author who knows that you don’t need to spell out everything to make the reader believe implicitly in the characters. The story weaves across oceans and time but never loses itself along the way.

As it should be by Josephides HP/DM [added August 2005]

A very understated piece that uses minimalist prose and a sharp, neat structure to tell the story. Draco Malfoy hates Harry Potter, which is as it should be. There is a delightfully contained Pansy and a rather over-affectionate Fawkes, along with a Harry who seems to be taking things in a very reasonable manner. Which is exactly as it should be. Delightful.

The badger series by Maya: HP/DM DM/ZS A professional’s guide to badgering people; Crouching tiger, hidden badger; How the badger has fallen

A series of fics that demonstrate all the best of Maya’s writing. Crisp and funny with great characterisations [and who cares about fanon! Believe in these people, come on!] and the type of plot development that drags the reader along at a pace that leaves them wheezing. The outcome is never without doubt, but you are left feeling more than a little sorry for Zacharias Smith who, up until this point, was merely fodder for JKR’s tangled plotting.

Beyond the Lethe by ZionStarfish HP/DM [added August 2005]

An amnesiac Harry story where, after defeating Voldemort, he is living as a Muggle with no memory of his life in the Wizarding world. The flow of the writing and the way the author moves the action along, cleverly letting the reader into the mystery along the way, makes for an enjoyable and fulfilling fic. Nicely paced and the ending is exactly as it should be.

Boxing Day by Yeats HP/DM [added April 2006]

A fascinating and well constructed vision of the world post-Voldemort. The Ministry is arresting dissenters and so a group of resisters begin smuggling them out of Britain. Harry has orders to arrest one of the ringleaders, but things do not go quite as planned. Yeats has said that there is a longer fic waiting to get out and is apparently planning to extend and embellish this. I look forward to that but, until then, this sharp and sassy story will do very nicely thank you very much!

Clear as Mud by Scoradh HP/DM [added April 2006]

Scoradh's Harry and Draco do not conform with the cardboard cut-outs of so many authors. Her's are bright and off-kilter, with unwritten back story that leaks through every paragraph. What she actually puts in is so charming and delightful that her readers can only go with the flow and accept this as a perfectly reasonable way for the two of them to end up.

Corridors of power by Blythely HP/DM [added August 2005]

Not an AU, but a post-war fic that has Harry Potter now the Member of Parliament for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Liberal Democrat) and Draco Malfoy as Viscount Northallerton, Lord Malfoy of Wimbledon. Really. Possibly my favourite Harry/Draco fic of all time, as well as being the most quintessentially British. Blythely captures the very essence of London better than anyone else in fandom and the humour and pace of this story are peerless. Fabulous.

Dancing Queen by Maya HP/DM

If there is one thing about Maya’s writing that stands out, it’s that her characters are so brilliantly drawn – there is always a foundation of canon in everyone that she writes, the rest is always pure Maya. Dancing Queen is a riot, with an original take on Dudley, an in-denial Harry [not much change there then!] and a sexy, flirtatious Draco. The rest is one hell of a romp.

The discreet charm of the bourgeoisie by Zahra HP/DM

What can I say about Zahra? Ah, yes, that her stories tend to be written as if something in her universe is slightly askew. That her characters are drawn with such precise brushstrokes that even when her plots may sometimes seem a bit whacked, her characters make perfect sense within them. Draco is dead, except that he isn’t. I am very fond of this fic as it makes no pretence to want to turn Draco into something he is not, but somehow still manages to make it seem possible that Draco and Harry might co-exist peacefully in a post-Voldemort world. The sense of loss permeates the fic without ever making the narrative morbid or over-emotional and without losing the quirky humour that is so often how Zahra’s characters cope with anything she might throw at them.

Draco in Darkness by Debbie HP/DM

This fic fits into the fluffy fanon of HP, which I know some people avoid, but to do so would to be a shame as it has many positive and enjoyable aspects to it. Draco loses his sight in a freak Quidditch accident and has to learn to cope when his world is changed irrevocably. Harry begins to help Draco study and their relationship takes a sharp turn from its previous path of mutual acrimony.

Goodness of their hearts by Tara Text HP/DM

Thoroughly fanon Harry/Draco and I adore every word of it! Post-war, Draco runs a security firm and is employed to find out who is threatening Chudley Canons seeker, Harry Potter. Much UST ensues with a detective story and a good few snarky laughs along the way. Great fun, well written and surprisingly thoughtful for a fic of this type.

In the shade of quiet by Cassandra HP/DM [added August 2005]

As much as I tend to dislike sex-in-toilets stories, this one has the edge of actually being sexy. Short and precise, though I find myself wanting something longer and more detailed that might give an explanation of why these people are here and what the hell they think they are doing. Fortunetly, this doesn't detract from how well the author writes the scene and, in the end, it works as fine example of how to write a PWP and make it work.

Invisible To See by Panderas HP/DM DM/JF-F

Novel length story with a well thought-out plot and some excellent writing to carry it along. There's humour and subterfuge and plenty of fanon moments, but Panderas rises above the usual clichés and gives us a stimulating and thoroughly enjoying story, with a delightfully happy ending. She is in the process of writing a sequel, which I look forward to with much eagerness.

It’s all about the subterfuge by Abra HP/DM

Draco wants Harry to talk about boys with him. Funny and camp, with moments of sheer delight – see the mistake of wearing an invisibility cloak in the showers! If you have ever longed for someone to bemoan the craven straightness of it all with you, then read this fun little fic!

Just once by Dee HP/DM

The way this fic is held together by the image of Harry's spine; Harry's stance; Harry's otherness is stunning. Draco tries to figure out what it is about Harry and thinks it might all be in the bones, after all Harry is like a cat, down to the nine lives. Dee's prose is so clinical and scalpel-sharp; the flow so perfect; Draco's pursuit of understanding so intense that I held my breath all the way through. I love that Dee doesn't feel the need to explain the details of what happened to Draco and that she leaves Harry as much of an enigma to the reader as he is to Draco.

King tide by Blythely HP/DM

Blythely says that this is the fic that nobody understands, nobody gets. To me just means that people aren't reading carefully enough. A set of drabbles – and yes, they are exactly 100 words each – that tell a story in fragments like a jigsaw puzzle: piece each drabble together to find a fic of such beauty that it takes your breath away.

Late Edition by Yeats HP/DM [added April 2006]

Harry has to deal with working alongside Draco who is making his life a misery, but is all is not what it seems on the surface. This is the kind of story that I think of as in the classic H/D mould, the banter and the animosity being comforting to the reader as we know, as the story progresses, what the outcome will be. An enjoyable addition to the genre, with some nice touches and some dirty toilet sex. Does just what it says on the tin!

The Lodger by Mad Martha HP/DM

Possibly my favourite of all Harry/Draco fics. The Lodger is a quiet piece of writing that pulls the reader in and makes them care about the characters in a more adult way than many stories. Harry is portrayed here as a broken and depressed individual, scarred by the events of the war and trying to cope with a life that seems empty and worthless. Into this comes Draco Malfoy who has fared little better post-war. The two settle into an uneasy truce as they strive to find some focus in their lives. As ever, Martha’s characters are what really make her fic stand out. Here are people the reader can believe in, flawed and fragile, papering over the cracks but still somehow managing to feel wholly alive. The plot has its flaws, in particular some ends left untidy, but the plot is not really the point. By the end you are simply hoping that Draco and Harry manage to find some happiness in a world still coming to terms with its past.

Man of the people by Circe Tigana HP/DM [added August 2005]

Slytherins with political ambitions? Okay, so Draco lacks a basic understanding of democracy, but when has that ever stopped a despot in the making? Quirky, funny and full
of sparkling dialogue and witty one-liners. A great read.

More Than One Way by Ociwen HP/DM [added April 2006]

Draco loses his hearing in an accident and ends up in a Muggle hospital, Harry takes him in. I'm not sure I swallow the entire premise, but somehow Ociwen makes it work due mainly to her ability to create characters who inhabit situations so thoroughly that you can believe everything she tells you about them.

Never mind the bollocks, It's Draco/Harry (shake your groove thing) by Geoviki HP/DM [added August 2005]

The ultimate crackfic. Geoviki throws every fanon cliche in the book into this fic and ends up with one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. An utter hoot!

One Night at the Ministry by Maeglin Yedi HP/DM [added April 2006]

Of all the stories posted for the Merry Smutmas fest 2005, this was probably the most rompingly charming. Funny and more than a little insane, we find Harry bored and fed up at the Ministry's celebration ball after he kills Voldemort. It is Draco who leads him into some serious mischief making and thoroughly enjoyable mayhem, cheering Harry -- and Maeglin's readers -- up immensely. Great fun.

Origins by Ivy HP/DM

When veela.inc went down, Ivy's fic disappeared with it. Fortunately she has uploaded Origins and – oddly enough – Quiescent to Skyehawke so that people who have yet to read it can finally find out what all the fuss is about. There were other parts to this that were written before Origins, but they simply do not have the completeness that this does. It stands shoulders above the other parts and can be easily read on its own without missing anything. Ivy's Draco is so well drawn: as complex and interesting as any other Draco I have read. Here you can see the canon, but instead of Rowling's one dimensional snotty brat, we get a personality built from intrigue and social expectations. A young man who has been forced to survive in his parent's world of darkness. Ultimately it's a story about love and betrayal, a study of what happens when innocence meets with harsh realism and shows that there is a possibility for redemption.

Owlets: For the birds; Acropolis; Enfants by Blythely HP/DM

A delightful triptych of stories. Hedwig is having chicks and, to Harry's horror, the father is Draco's owl, Quetzal. Blythely's compact and clean style allows the story to be told without relying on histrionics and clichés. Utterly charming.

Precipice by Circe Tigana HP/DM

The cadence of the words here fit so well into the theme. Harry begins every day falling from Hogwarts tallest tower. The momentum of the falls; the manic race for the snitch, almost ending with Harry's crash and burn; the 'has he or hasn't he' tease of Malfoy's arm. Everything rushes towards the conclusion of the piece and then Circe leaves us hanging, just as she leaves Harry: mind unsettled; future uncertain. You'll not draw breath for a moment as you read this fic.

Red by Breed HP/DM

I just realised that I have three of Breed's fics on this list, which is interesting considering she is not an author I know a thing about. Quidditch! Kissing! Boys! I'd call this charming but that somehow sounds patronising, which is not at all how I mean it. This story is set during and after the Slytherin/Gryffindor Quidditch match in the Prisoner of Azkaban and was written for the First Kiss Challenge. Draco's voice here is so delightfully petulant and bratty. The kiss is lovely and the interaction between Draco and Harry so well done that you'd think it came straight from the books themselves.

Requirement by Miggy HP/DM [sort of]

A really clever story about sexuality and adolescence. Year six and Seamus brings a collection of wizarding pornography to school. Harry finds a familiar face in one of the magazines. To say too much would be to give away a startling premise and that would spoil half the fun. Read it.

Right through him by Chiromancy HP/DM [added August 2005]

A scorcher of a fic. Basically PWP with a fab narrative voice [Draco's], this has so much going for it from an author who hadn't written before. UST that leads to some rather splendidly dirty, alley sex. I very much like the way she writes Draco's observations on Harry as he sees just how much they have in common.

Scrap of humanity and Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Aesc HP/DM

These companion stories are set post-war and are a both sweet, gentle romance and something of a detective story. At the behest of Ron, who is now an auror, a rather lovely damaged Harry [my favourite kind!] helps Draco to decipher the clues left behind by Professor Snape in his journals. I enjoyed the characterisations in these stories, which seem more concerned with the journey of the protagonists than with the plot – which is not a criticism so much as a warning to those who might be looking for something very plotty. There is plot, but it does feel very much like a means to an end: the end being the pairing, of course. Having said that, I very much enjoyed reading this and recommend it for a good read for a rainy night.

Scrap paper by Natt HP/DM [added August 2005]

Adorable! Fluffy as hell, but so well executed that -- even if you aren't one for fluff -- you can forgive this funny and quirky little story pretty much anything.

Second of our Reign by Wax Jism HP/DM RL/SB

A fic that tends to either wow the reader or leave them cold. I for one was wowed. The magic alone is worth the read. Harry has been missing believed dead for a long time when suddenly signs point to his having survived after all. It is up to Hermione and Ron – at the instigation of Sirius and Remus – to find him. Hermione's tracking spell is fabulous and Harry's whereabouts is a surprise to many people, not least of all Draco, who has been living as a virtual recluse since the end of the war. Dark, compulsive and not a happy fic even if there is an apparently positive end.

The Shadow of his wings by Mirabella HP/DM [WIP]

One to watch. At the time of writing this, Shadow is still in progress and I am not sure how many chapters are left. However, do not let that put you off! This stories is a cut above so many other post-war Harry/Draco's in that it has believable characterisations and a smart storyline. There are two narratives interwoven into the story: Percy Weasley has apparently has murdered his sister Ginny and helped Lucius Malfoy to escape from Azkaban; Harry is now professor at Hogwarts and is trying to understand what makes Draco Malfoy [also a Hogwarts professor] tick. When the two threads collide, loyalties are questioned and people hurt.

SilverVerse by Fearless Diva HP/DM Tissue of silver; Famous for their discord; Seeing the light

One of the real classic novel length Harry/Draco's that are sadly few and far between in the fandom. Auror Harry Potter is given the task of protecting former Death-Eater spy, Draco Malfoy, from an unknown assailant. This is a romance mixed with a thriller [although that aspect of the plot is far less important than the love story] which brings us delightful characterisations, and a clever use of correspondence to give the reader a multiple point of view. There won't be many who have not read this but, just in case, I suggest you go immediately and settle down for a delightful and thoroughly enjoyable story of atonement and hope.

Sodomite by Ivy HP/DM/CC

Harry and Cho have an understanding: they're aren't in a relationship they just explore their sexualities together. When Cho invites Draco Malfoy to join them in their experimentation, the results aren't what she intended. I do feel that the characterisation of Cho is very harsh and that she doesn't feel at all real, but I have a feeling that Ivy means that, which makes this story all the more interesting. Seen through Harry's rather removed perspective, much more is implied than actually happens. Even then, that story remains somehow cold and barren, although there is a note of hope at the end.

Something Different by Mackenzie HP/DM [added April 2006] JUNE 2006: CURRENTLY MISSING DUE TO JOURNAL DELETION

A fic that manages to be both filthy and sweet. There's no plot, but this manages to satisfy all the same.

Things That Change by Ociwen HP/DM [added April 2006]

This is the point at which I try and convince you to go read MPreg. If I tell you that I never read MPreg as I find it horribly cloying and feminising of the protagonists? That I feel it generally descends into foul, slushy, romantic tosh? Would this make you believe me when I say that Things That Change manages to avoid all these things? The fact that even the author chose to post this under a pseudonym says it all, but I can understand her reasoning. But this story gripped me from start to finish. It does not avoid any of the difficult aspects of parenthood; it does not feminise the maternal character; it contains some original characters who bubble with life and personality; it gives a description of a damaged, dysfunctional relationship that I can really believe. In fact, this is a stimulating, gripping and entertaining story that doesn't allow the reader any easy outs with what happens in it. It's difficult and discomforting and at times challenging of our perceptions of what makes a good maternal figure. I'd suggest reading it for yourselves. I'd hope you'd not be disappointed.

This Proof Absolute by Setissma HP/DM [added April 2006]

Setissma's lovely prose pulls her reader into her stories and makes them believe. This delicate little piece is so simple and so full of want and need that I defy you not to have the most stupid soppy grin on your face by the time you reach the end.

To go wherever dreaming goes by Abaddon HP/DM [added August 2005]

This fic is just fabulous. The pacing is so well done and the characterisations sharp and focused. I believe this Harry. Canon Harry really isn't a very nice child, and here is an author that gives his readers a gorgeously dysfunctional example of that. This Draco is so fragmented [just like a spoilt child who has never been allowed to choose his own destiny would be], trying to work out how to survive in a world without any certainties to hang on to; a world with only one point of reference -- Harry himself. Clever, enjoyable and thoroughly satisfying.

Topology by Dorrie HP/DM [added August 2005]

Draco maps his world in order to take control of it. Dorrie writes her Draco in such a way that the reader can believe in his meticulousness. Not for her a Draco who is recklessly spiteful and spoilt, but one who tries to contain his thoughts and fears in charts and plans. I especially like the ending, being open-ended and yet so right.

Transfigurations by Resonant HP/DM

I doubt I can say anything about this story that hasn’t been said a thousand times before. Although generally considered one of the classics of the fandom, it has its detractors. I know that Resonant's characterisation of Draco is a cause of many of them although I tend to think that is missing the point. To me, this story's main positive point is its magical element. Too often writers miss that they are writing about a magical world and don’t even try to weave the magic into their stories. Transfigurations is full of clever and believable magic, which Resonant weaves seamlessly into the story -- in fact makes it a major plot point -- so that never for a moment is the reader unaware that this is anything but an ordinary world. This, along with a sure hand with her characters and some steamy sex, is why it is such a much loved fic within the fandom.

Two lost souls by Amalin HP/DM

This fic is a bit of a weird rec. Ultimately, I am reccing it because the author never veers from her stark and precise characterisations throughout the entire thing. This consistency of purpose leads to the readers being faced with the most despairing of endings. Harry here is basically sociopathic and the relationship with Draco so dysfunctional that it had me flinching on numerous occasions. I think if you like dark and angsty fic that is not afraid to follow the angst through to its logical conclusion, that you might do worse than read this one.

Unfinished Business by Dee HP/DM

I confess to being somewhat fetishistic about post-war H/D, it leaves so much space for character development, with all the baggage and childhood spite as backstory. This fic is so grown-up. Draco here is lovely: his fight with and against his father's influence, the fact that ultimately he accepts who he is and doesn't bend to others' wish to change him and strip him of that. The other characters are so alive and well drawn... and Ginny! What a wonderful depiction of her. No bitter loser girl, no hurt damaged child, but a young woman in control of her destiny and confident enough to do what she wants and act how she pleases. The strength and confidence of Dee's writing is – as always – a pleasure.

The Unfortunate Truth of Happily Ever After by Nichole HP/DM [added August 2005]

Post-war and Harry and Draco are trying to find a way to live with the guilt. It's refreshing to read an H/D fic that doesn't ask for easy answers and give pat, lovely-dovey reasons for the relationship. Here the author simply shows how two people can stumble along until the distance becomes too much for the both of them. I particularly liked that the author doesn't feel the need to give an unequivocally happy ending. She does, however, give some hope, and sometimes that the most we can ask for.

Vermillion by Asahii HP/DM [added April 2006]

Bleak and desperate. Draco is forced to make choices that feel neither right nor meaningful. This story is at times frustratingly precious, but somehow works as a whole. I would warn any H/D shippers that this one is not for the hopeless or hopeful romantics amongst you.

Way of the World by Zions Starfish HP/DM

A charming Christmas story [and I bet you never thought you'd see me reccing one of those!]. A down-at-heel Draco Malfoy is working delivering gifts over the festive season, his last delivery of the night being addressed to Harry Potter. I like this story because it makes me feel all warm and soppy. Fanon? Yes! Soppy? Yes! It is also well-written and thoroughly enjoyable and far and away a better story than most fanon Harry/Draco. Anyway, I said in my notes that I am partial to a bit of fluff at times.

World Enough and Time by Lydia Bennett HP/DM [added April 2006]

Atmospheric and languid, this short but well written fic somehow manages to create a world brimming with promise and tentative hope of love without needing to wrap it up neatly at the end.

You had me at hallo: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3 by 142978 HP/DM [added August 2005]

Harry Potter disappears after the death of Voldemort. Years later, Draco Malfoy is given a clue that may lead him to finding the missing Boy Who lived. Memory charms, uncertain motives, misinformation and a second chance. The ending of this will smack you in the face, but not without making you feel that it was also somehow inevitable.

On to Part 2