snowgall

What if it's not all hearts and flowers after Harry and Draco finally get together? (No! Say it isn't so!) In real life, certainly, most relationships suffer ups and downs through the years, and in some cases the downs can break you apart.

While I admit that I generally prefer to read about how these characters get together in the first place (yes, I know, I am such a sap!), these fics do a wonderful job exploring what might come after. And it's often the case that in so doing we get to explore a more nuanced, mature version of love than what we see in the early stages. And that's not a bad thing :)

After Hours at the Ministry of Magic by birdsofshore ( NC-17 | 11,500 ) 7-Dec-2012
Summary: It isn't precisely how Harry planned to spend Christmas Eve: trapped in a lift with his ex-boyfriend, somewhere between the third and the fourth floors of the Ministry of Magic.

Oh yes - really lovely, really hot, and really good! Great flashbacks so we could see how their relationship began, which leave you aching for them to get back together again.

**This fic was recently uploaded to AO3, so even if you've read it before, you can now leave kudos :)**

Make Me a Headline (I Want To Be That Bold) by dicta_contrion ( NC-17 | 31,000 ) 29-Apr-2015
Summary: Draco never expected to see Harry doing that again. Especially with someone else, in a grainy photograph that's landed on his desk one Monday morning.

There is SO MUCH I loved about this fic. Draco and Harry had been lovers years ago, but Draco had let his fears get the better of him and had left Harry with no explanation. But now he's back and using underhanded means to get Harry to go on a date with him once again. Harry here wears his heart on his sleeve. It's clear how much he misses Draco, how much he desperately wants to get back together, and how happy he is to accompany Draco to the gala, even despite his hurt and anger over the past.
The author does such a wonderful job of showing the reader just how confused and afraid Draco still is, and how much of himself he has been holding in check for so long. I absolutely loved the emotional build-up in this fic and how well these characters were drawn. The ending is so very satisfying too. Really taking the time to show how much is at stake, how hesitant and cautious they both are, yet also how desperately they both still want each other. It's truly lovely.
(extended earlier rec here)

And Back Again (Where You Belong) by eidheann_writes ( NC-17 | 16,000 ) 1-Nov-2014
Summary: He thought back on their previous handshakes, and smiled faintly at the fact they always seemed to mean so much more to him than they did to Potter.

This was beautiful. I was hooked from the very beginning, and loved so much that the sex scenes were used to illustrate where they were emotionally. Sex as character development is my favorite thing! Especially the final one where Draco's heart was breaking the whole time but it meant so much to him that he just couldn't stop. That was amazing. I wanted it to go on longer, in fact, to maybe have even more emotional resolution for Draco, but really it was all top notch.

Lush Life by pir8fancier ( NC-17 | 19,300 ) 30-Jul-2006
Summary: Draco Malfoy is forty, currently editor of a soft porn gay men's magazine, the author of a no-holds-barred tell all of his life as a former rentboy, and is perfectly happy. Uh, not. Enter one Harry Potter.

This is the sequel to Lettered, and if you haven't read Lettered, you must do so immediately!
Lettered ends somewhat ambiguously, and here we learn that the boys separated during the war, but now they have a chance to re-connect. And it's so good. The story just flows so effortlessly and sucks you in. And Draco is trying *so* much to hide his vulnerability. It just breaks your heart. I loved the parallels to Lettered: that part where Harry's writing to Draco, knowing it's Draco but Draco somehow doesn't realize it's Harry (oh the irony!). And the scene where Draco counts down from 10 while Harry is convincing him to start their relationship again was *magnificent*.

My Own Worst Enemy by dysonrules ( NC-17 | 22,000 ) 29-Jun-2012
Summary: After a night of heavy drinking, Draco wakes up fully-clothed to find that his flat is a wreck and several things are missing. Things only get worse from there.

Aww, lovely. Well done. At first I wasn't sure if I liked this Draco - his heavy partying seems annoying and unsympathetic. But as it went on and we got to understand him better, I liked it a lot. How much he was hurting, how much they misunderstood about each other, and how good the making up was. Very nice.

Packing the Flat by marguerite_26 ( NC-17 | 6,500 ) 2-Dec-2010
Summary: Months after their explosive break-up, Draco insists Harry return to their flat to remove his belongings.

Emotionally intense and hot too. It was all a stupid misunderstanding, of course, and that's frustrating, but she tells it so well, and you ache for them both. I wanted it to go on longer, to see them heal more.

Second First Chances by megyal ( NC-17 | 16,000 ) 31-May-2014
Summary: There are only two good facts about Harry and Draco's disastrous marriage: it had been relatively short, and they had managed to produce a very lovely child. However, if they don't work together, they just might lose him.

This was so good. The beginning with their estranged relationship felt absolutely realistic, and their son Oscar was depicted in a genuine way - not too perfect or treacly at all. And when Harry and Draco learn of his illness, it was gutting and so beautifully written.

Let's Dance To Joy Division by femmequixotic ( NC-17 | 12,500 ) 19-Jun-2009
Summary: Let the love tear us apart, I've found a cure for a broken heart...