My favorite reclist of the year! It’s the best excuse to reread beloved fics and shout about them again. I couldn’t wait any longer to post it, so, without further ado: here are my personal favorites from 2023 and why I love them, along with a banner I’m really pleased with.
Thank you, sweet writers, for giving us your wonderful stories. Wishing everyone a happy December and an amazing and soft new year!
I Fall On Grass by @tackytigerfic
Drarry, T, 3.1k
I adore stories with mature characters and this one is no exception. It’s so charming: gentle pining over the years, throughout the realities of life and parenthood, written with such a light hand. And lovely worldbuilding of a slow life that they built for themselves, which left me smiling the whole day after reading it. It feels like a soft caress for my soul.
It’s Me or the Peacock by harrows
Drarry, T, 4.6
Do you ever feel like reading a fun, lighthearted fic that will have you grinning all day? Look no further, this is the one. Picture this: established Drarry taking the plunge to move in together, except Draco is bringing his “avian third wheel” with him, adding a feathered twist to the mix. Harry can’t quite believe what’s happening and that’s not even the half of it. This fic is a delight!
Sun Shower by @moonmanatee
Drarry, T, 6k
Meet Orkie (short for Snorkel), the delightful cat who loves his boy Harry very much. They share a special bond, silently understanding not to delve into the origins of their pasts. What matters most is their companionship and the comforting routine they’ve woven together. Now, enter Draco Malfoy, a fashion icon with phenomenal outfits, his mud-loving dog, Hubert, and a dash of mouthwatering culinary creations. Your heart will grow three sizes by the time you’re done reading; mine certainly did.
Birds Behaving Badly by @peachpety
Drarry, E, 10.5k
Oh, this fic!! I swear my whole body was wiggling with delight when I read it – it’s hilarious and hot and so witty. Draco has a type, which leads to a fun case of mistaken identity, all artfully resolved with the intervention of a conniving seagull, Kevin. Brace yourself for some sassy Slytherin banter, side characters so vividly portrayed they’ll steal your heart (Goyle, I’m looking at you), and the enchanting backdrop of a magical Brighton in the summer. Cue the squeals of delight!
A Saviour’s Guide to Manners and Decorum by @wolfpants
Drarry, E, 13k
I have read every fic Wolf has written this year and, let me tell you, choosing just one feels like an impossible task – I wish I could include them all. But here is my pick, and it’s not because it happened to be my birthday gift. This fic is a gem, seamlessly blending humor with a soft, wistful touch (oh, and do I need to mention it’s also incredibly hot?). It resonates because Harry just wants to be accepted for who he is, refusing to change for anyone (as he rightly shouldn't!). Enter Draco, who is here to help, and not to “fix him”. Sprinkle that with a subtle hint of D/s dynamics, a generous serving of UST, and a sensual shaving scene, and you have got the perfect fic. LOVE!
I only want the ones I envy (I envy) by @porcelainheart3
Drarry, E, 13.5k
This fic is so stunning! A coming-out story with writing so clean and sharp it made me laugh out loud through (lots of) inevitable tears. It has a very competent magical inventor Draco, who wears sock garters(!). It has Harry on a self-discovery journey that feels so very real; with a heart-wrenching childhood flashback that will leave you shattered. It has the most supportive friends. It has banter and flirting and so many wonderful details (look closely at the newspaper in the fic for an extra dose of laughter). And let's not forget the most incredibly emotional blow job; talk about smut with feelings! It’s one of those fics that made me read the rest of the author’s catalog immediately (and trust me, you should too!).
A Time, Dark and Divine by @moonflower-rose
Established Drarry, Draco/Ron/Harry, E, 17k
Oh boy oh boy oh boy, this fic is so scorching hot. And their dynamic is so complex: jealousy and possessiveness wrapped up in a delicious package of a boys' trip in Thailand. A stunning Ron POV filled to the brim with complicated history and tension, incredible characterization for all three of them, culminating, inevitably, in hot-hot-hot sex. I couldn’t get this story out of my head for days. If you, like me, like feelings with your smut, this one’s for you!
Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm
Drarry, E, 22k
This story is so charming and whimsical! First of all, this Draco is such an utter delight that I fell in love with him right away. He’s so entertaining! The concept of Christmas in July gives the story a wonderfully atmospheric and slightly wistful tone. Add to it a very domestic and playful dynamic between Draco and Harry, top-notch dialogue, so many creative details, and an absolutely delicious and intimate sex scene. From beginning to end, this fic is so warm and touching; a gentle romance that feels as if it was enchantingly sprinkled with a cheering charm.
the first in line by @oflights
Drarry, E, 29.5k
This fic is hilarious, mischievous, and sexy all at the same time. And also a little bit unhinged in the best possible way. It had me in its grip from the very first sentence: “When the clock strikes midnight on his 25th birthday, Harry is having a threesome with a werewolf and a vampire.” (chef’s kiss!) and it didn’t let me go. We have a reluctant and grumpy Veela Harry, an over-the-top Draco, summer vacation vibes, a magical yacht, wooing with a hot air balloon (and more!), plus an absolutely delightful non-monogamous background Romione. Gah!!!
Of Magical Beings Being - Magic by @rockingrobin69
Drarry, E, 30k
What’s actually magic here is Robin’s writing. It’s… wait, I don’t think I have words for how rich and full this world is, how special! There’s pining and soft angst and an unreliable narrator and exes to lovers, but somehow all that doesn’t even begin to describe what this story is. It’s witty and fascinating and soft and playful. It’s about loving the other person so much that you do the wrong thing because you think that’s what they want, even though it hurts you. It’s about manifesting them in everything you do until they come back. It’s about Love, about Happiness. It knocked the breath out of me. It’s unbearably lovely.
Winner takes it all by @skeptiquewrites
Drarry, E, 41k
This fic is absolutely devastating in a sort of gentle way. My heart broke a million times for this wonderful, hardworking, cornered Draco – who’s looking after his mum – as well as for a whole bunch of beautifully written side characters. The story starts with a bet, and from there, it unravels with Tee's razor-sharp writing, infused with nuance that makes the narrative incredibly rich and undeniably real. If you're in the mood for a cathartic cry, followed by a sweet, happy ending, don't walk – run to this fic!
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The Lifeaters (III.3)
III. Your greatest fear
MASTERLIST
Chapter Summary: Your classes test you in unimaginable ways
Pairings: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (platonic)
Warnings: Cursing, magical objects, Mugglephobia, classism, charms and curses, might miss some warnings
Wordcount: 3,4 k
Notes: I’m adapting a lot of parts of the books… hehe…
Have you seen Brooklyn 99? if you have you’ll now this
If you see something say something, come on and party tonighttttt wooooooo
Tuesday nor Wednesday Draco went to classes, his arm still tightly taped to his side, you helped him in what you could, no, actually, in what he would let you help him, you offered to carry his bag but he made Goyle do it, he wouldn’t let you personally carry his things or help him up, nothing that would require strength, you wanted to feel insulted, but what he truly meant is that he did not wanted you to “trouble” yourself
Also he was enjoying the attention you and Pansy were giving him, letting you fix his hair and robes, and even help him eat
It felt nice to help a friend
So Thursday you had potions, and Dray could not miss that.
Most classes would put aside one block, one hour and a half of your schedule, but not potions.
Many took too long to prepare, so once a week, you had THREE consecutive hours to brew potions and be almost tortured by Professor Snape
Even though they were almost on the same floor, the potions classroom was nothing like your common room. It was stuffy, damp and the various smells from the potions made it really hard to breathe or have a nice time, on the contrary, it also depended on the potion that was being brewed, sometimes they made the air lighter, so every class was everyone’s guess.
All eyes where on you when you arrived with Draco to the potions classroom, you shared the class with the Gryffindors, and many of them looked annoyed when they saw Dray’s grimace
Pansy wouldn’t leave your side either.
You didn’t know how to feel
You liked her, she was your friend, but you were not used to a “third wheel” in yours and Draco’s relationship, before there was Vince, Greg and even Matthew near him, but they couldn’t get that close to him
Pansy was managing to do so, and it made you a bit queasy
Draco whimpered when you settle in your places and Pansy was on him on a
"How is it, Draco?”, she asked, in a tone a bit sweet for your taste, "Does it hurt much?"
“Yes”, he said, trying to show himself brave, but as soon as Pansy looked away, he winked at Greg and Vince, you slapped his good arm, annoyed, he looked back at you apologetically
Your attention was called by Snape, the class was going to start
You were a bit late, but your professor didn’t say anything, you enjoyed more… freedom… with the head of your house than with other teachers, it almost made you a bit embarrassed
But then you remembered all teachers who were heads of houses had a soft spot for their students, Snape had a soft spot for you lot, his house.
“Today were going to be making a Shrinking solution”, snape Introduced, “please take out your ingredients”
You were sharing one of the big tables with Potter, Granger, Longbottom, Weasley, Greg, Vince, Draco and Pansy
"Sir," Dray called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm…", you looked at him, wanting to offer your help, but Snape had other plans
"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him"
“I can do it”, you whispered to him, but he shook you off
“He told Wesley to do it”, he said with a smirk, oh how he was enjoying this
"There's nothing wrong with your arm," Ron accused him
"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots”, he demanded, and Weasley started to masacre those poor roots
“Professor!”, called Draco, “Weasley is mutilating my roots!”, Snape even seemed happy with this arrangements
“Weasley, change roots with Malfoy”, he demanded, and you could barely choke in a giggle
So the redhead had to spend double time trying to fix his roots for himself to use, you tried to focus on your own ingredients, but Draco had you a bit on edge.
Don’t misinterpret this, it was fun to pick on Potter and Weasley, but not in the middle on the potions class, when many things could go wrong
"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Dray, pushing his luck, you actually liked working with the plant
“I can do it Dray”, you offered, and you felt Pansy’s heated gaze on you
"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," was the response
“It’s no trouble”, you insisted
“He said Potter to do it”, Draco said with a smile
Potter was quick to skin those poor plants, and slided them over the table at Draco as quickly as he could. Draco’s face was one of victory, he seemed pleased with himself.
Oh but not yet
"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?", he asked them with a mean smirk
"None of your business," responded Weasley.
It was a sore topic, you did not like the turn it had taken
"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," Said Draco. "Father's not very happy about my injury… he complained to the school’s governors and all", he said, sighing, “And a lasting injury like this…who knows if my arm will ever be the same again?". You wanted to tell him to drop it, you did, back in the common room, but he wouldn’t listen, the horrible gash in his arm looked terrible.
“So that’s why you are doing this!”, said Potter, “you want to get him sacked!”
“Well, maybe”, teased Draco, “Weasley, why don’t you slice up my caterpillars for me?”
The Redhead was about to throw his cauldron at him, when Professor Snape walked by the table, looking into Longbottom’s cauldron
"Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?", his potion was the wrong color, and Neville looked like he was about to cry.
"Please, sir," said Granger, there was something about her tone that you really found annoying, "I could help Neville put it right…", you couldn’t help but rolled your eyes, and Draco at your side snickered
"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," you couldn’t help but smile, Snape always saw right through the golden trio, "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly.", now that made you raise your eyes from your cauldron up to Neville, who’s hands started shaking
"Help!" he moaned, looking at the entire table
"Hey", said Seamus Finnigan, a Gryffindor who no matter what he was doing, he always managed to provoke an explosion, "Sirius Black's been sighted”, he said, you and Draco shared looks, “it’s all over the daily prophet”
"Where?" asked Potter, all the table were listening
"Dufftown," said Seamus, who looked excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone."
"Not too far from here... " said Granger, then Weasley catches us looking
"What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?", he asked
But Draco was looking at Potter with malice, and you knew exactly was he was about to say
"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?", he teased
"Yeah, that's right," responded Potter, ever the petulant fool
You knew what was coming, you had discussed it at length, Sirius black was the one that betrayed Harry’s Parents, causing them to die in the hands of the Dark Lord
"Of course, if it was me, I'd be out there looking for him.", said Draco, “I wouldn’t be staying in school like a good boy”
"What are you talking about, Malfoy?", asked Weasley. And you looked at Potter’s face, looking for any clue, but now it dawned on you… he didn’t know. He didn’t know what Black had done, of course you did, because uncle Lucius didknow, he was deep in the Ministry.
But Potter didn’t know what Sirius had done to his family, and why he was out, probably looking for him.
"Don't you know, Potter?", asked Draco, truly surprised, but he looked like he did on Christmas mornings
"Know what?". Draco laughed cruelly, it made your skin crawl.
"Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself."
"What are you talking about?" asked Potter angrily
You were going to tell Draco to stop, but Snape did it for you, calling the attention of the entire class
"You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's... "
Neville stirred his cauldron miserably, with his mouth twisted in agony
You put away your things and Draco before he could say anything, you were somewhat happy that your potion was the right shade of color
A few minutes later, Snape was standing next to Neville, Theo and Matt stood by your side, to watch
"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, “and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned”, you grabbed onto the hand that was closest to you, it was Theo’s, he looked at you alarmed, but you only watched as snape with a special instrument took a bit of the potion, while he held Trevor on his other hand
“Professor…”, you couldn’t help it, you were not thinking, Snape looked at you with those dark glistening eyes, “Trevor will… die?”, you asked fearfully, “we understand the consequences Sir, I don’t think it’s necessary…”
He seemed truly surprised
“Hush your mouth Basilik, unless you want your points removed”, he said angrily. The Gryffindor seemed truly surprised as you intervened
Theo didn’t released you, you squeezed his hands waiting for the inevitable, if that was Umbra instead, you’d be crying, as Neville shed a single tear of his trembling cheek
Snape fed Trevor a spoonful of the potion…
You could drop a pin on the classroom and it would be heard loudly, everyone was looking expectantly… and then, with a pop, Trevor had become a tiny little tadpole.
You released Theo, taking a deep breath, relieved…
Snape, who seemed like he didn’t get any presents for Christmass, took a vial from the insides of his robes and turn Trevor into his normal size again
"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."
You never walked out of potions so quickly, dragging a laughing Draco with you
You went to the great hall to have lunch, not before you sneaking out to the inner courtyard to take a long breath of fresh air, Winter was looming in and you could already feel the chill in the air even though the trees were already turning orange
You weren’t alone
“Hey, ppssttt”, you heard a shushing noise, you looked to your side and saw Theo and Matthew, hiding under the threshold of the castle’s door. Theo was hiding something on his robes
“What?”, you asked, coming near them, they clearly wanted to show me something, but you thought better of it, “I swear for Merlin’s fluffy robes that if I look into something remotely inappropriate I will tell Snape…”
You heard a croak, and your curiosity got the better of you and you looked inside
Theo was hiding a toad, and not just any toad
“Is that Trevor?”, you asked them both who started laughing
“Maybe”, he giggled
“You stole him?”, you asked them, scandalized, and then you looked into both their eyes, “no…”
“What?”, asked Theo
“Please don’t hurt him”, you begged them, honestly scared for the poor familiar
“I will not!”, Theo said, he seemed offended that you believed he was going to hurt him
“Why did you steal it?”, you asked them
“Longbottom didn’t have the guts, he was going to let Snape poison him!”, he said, taking Trevor out of his robes and caressing his tiny head, he was cute… for a toad…
“So what’s your plan?”, you asked the pair, and they shared looks
“We are going to keep him…”, said Theo
“Yeah, and share custody”, muttered Matt
“What are you three doing with Longbottom’s toad?”, you three freezed at the unmistakable voice of Severus Snape, you three turned slowly, and shaking
“Stealing is not tolerated at Hogwarts”, he said with his dark, dragging voice, “Miss Basilik you interrupt and question my teaching methods and then you steal a classmate’s familiar, this is unacceptable”
“Sir! but…!”
“And furthermore you send a request my way to drop the divination class… not so fast… Gaunt”, he said, grabbing into Matt’s robes who had tried to escape. You looked up at him with wide eyes, “well, lucky for you I found a way to solve your little problem, and… give you and Mister Nott and mister Gaunt a lesson…”
“Which is?”, asked Theo fearfully
“Ancient Runes as Arithmancy are full… but not Muggles studies…”
“No…”, you all whimpered at the same time
“Congratulations, you three are the very first Slytherins in taking the class”, he said with a smirk that was going to haunt your worst nightmares for years to come.
You didn’t even dared to tell Draco, Matthew, Theo and you looked like you just had seen a ghost, you barely ate… you were so… frighten
It did not help what Professor Lupin had in store for Defense against the Dark class after lunch…
“Boggarts!”, presented Lupin, as he stood in the middle of an empty classroom, with a huge cabinet that was moving like it had something inside it, and it did, “can anybody tell me.. what a Boggart looks like?”. he asked
“No one knows!”, said Granger, “boggarts are shapeshifters, they take on the shape of what that person fears the most, that is why they are so…”
“So terrifying, yes…”, he looked back at the cabinet, “Luckily, there is a very simple spell to repel them, everyone says it with me, wands away… Riddikulus!”, he pronounced in a way that was a bit contrary to what your minds told you to pronounced it
“Ri…di…kulus”, you practiced
“This class is ridiculous”, mocked Draco
Once you had practiced the spell, Lupin put you all in a line
The boggart turned into cobras, spiders… many things… and then… you were standing in front of a turning mesh… a cloud-like creature who was reading your mind to find whatever frightened you the most…
You thought about many things that frightened you, total darkness, being completely alone, death? many, many things, but then… something came out on top
The boggart started taking shape, and the result was a huge mass that almost touched the ceiling with his ugly head…. or rather… lack thereof
Trolls were huge, and this one wasn’t the exception, except… it didn't have a head!
A headless troll, with a bloody stomp where his head should be, was standing in front of you
You couldn’t help but whine in fear, wanting to take a step back
“Well, I have to admit, this is an unusual one”. laughed Lupin
“I can’t believe it Basilik!”, said Draco behind you, and you couldn’t stop looking at it, “still?”, you heard laughs behind you, and that only made you whimper more
“Wand at the ready Basilik”, said Lupin, who seemed ready to jump, it wasn’t until that thing tried to hit you with his wooden club that you snapped out of your stupor
“Riddikulus!”, you said, in a second the headless troll became a big voodoo-looking doll, that fell to the ground as it was filled with sand
You kept hearing laughs behind you, and Professor Lupin applauded
“Very good Basilik! very good! Potter, you are next!”
Everyone was expectant of what Potter’s boggart was going to be, and you feared the most
A Dementor showed itself in front of you… well… at least it wasn’t the Dark Lord
Lupin stood in front of him, casted the spell, and… he dismissed the class despite the complains of the res of the class
Potter had the tendency of ruining things
But if the first class was any indication, finally you had a competent Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, and you were excited, despite hearing Draco talking very rudely about Lupin’s appearance.
He did look like he had been attacked by a pack of Wampuses
. . .
The rest of the week, and for the weekend you three were acting as you were guilty of committing an awful crime and everybody was suspecting you. Draco was too “angry” at you for dropping divination that he didn't even ask you what you were going to take instead. Theo and Matthew were as skittish as you, avoiding the subject altogether
You didn’t even know how everyone else was going to react when you told them, nobody of your house had taken that class
It wasn’t until the very next week on Monday that you had your first Muggle Studies class
“I can’t believe this is Snape’s idea of a punishment, Longbottom haven’t even noticed that Trevor was missing”, muttered Theo
You had to admit you were somewhat excited… you didn’t even know what to expect, it was a complete mystery of what was going to happen inside that classroom
“An entire year with Muggle studies”, muttered Matthew, “I bet that if we bother that professor enough, she will let us switch”
“I don’t think we should play along with that, it was a miracle they let us change and… Arithmancy and Ancient runes are full”, you muttered, “and we HAVE to take two electives”, you whispered
That Hufflepuff girl thought you were trying to prank her when you asked her where the muggle studies classroom was.
It was in a part of the castle that you weirdly had walked through a bunch of times, but never took the time to actually tell.
You walked into the classroom, looking everywhere with surprise in your eyes, the room was filled with… unusual things… muggle things, in the corner, there was this… round transparent object that was glowing! What was that about? they couldn’t use magic!
You then noticed that a complete silence had installed in the room and when you looked around you realized that you were being stared at by the entire class. Some of them even had their mouths wide open at the sight of the three of you
Let’s just say that you would have more luck experiencing a 31st of February than spotting a Slytherin in a Muggle studies class, let alone three, let alone Matthew Gaunt that by this point… had a certain reputation inside the school.
In front of the class, there was a sweet looking woman, wearing what you guessed was muggle clothing, she was wearing some school pants, bluish ones, they look so comfortable
“Is this another joke?”, she asked shakily as she saw you three coming in, “Snape is my friend you know, and I’m allowed to take points from Slytherin as well as any other teacher”, she said, she reminded you of Neville
“Please Professor, this isn’t a mockery”, you tried to explain quickly, your new classmates looked at surprised as the teacher to see three Slytherins in there, “we really want to take this class”, you said, it wasn’t specially true but… whatever
“You three are warned! any funny business and I will talk with Snape and have you suspended!”, she threatened, and you nodded quickly, so you went and took a seat quickly in the back of the class, and you stayed quiet the entire lesson.
“I may or may not have… pranked her several times last year”, whispered Matthew to your ear
Even so, both Matthew and Theo were in their best behavior for the first time.
And you had to admit… it was more interesting than you thought.
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