What follows is a list of my picks for the best Drarry fanfiction of 2015
(37 fics, sorted by date published)

Note: There are so many lists of favorite Harry/Draco fanfiction, but I'm doing something a little different. Rather than create a list based on genre or length or era or whatever, I've decided to do a series of "best-of X year" lists. This means the year the work was published not the year I read it.

Once again, this list was hard to pare down! I read more fanfic published in 2015 than in any other year, and between my LJ blog and hd_storyroom, I recced 93 Drarry fics from 2015. Consequently lots of good fics aren't included on this list. In the end any list is just an arbitrary thing based on one person's no doubt flawed opinion. It says nothing about the quality of any fics not on it!

More lists:

( 2015 list--click to expand )

General notes:

The "original post" column provides links to the first place I can find evidence of the work online. However, it can be really tough to determine when and where a work was first published (see my rant here: Dates Matter). So it could be that a fic was actually published earlier somewhere else and I didn't know it. Corrections are welcome.
I've read a lot of HD fiction, but I certainly haven't read it all, so if I've left off something you think I shouldn't have, I'm happy for you to let me know.
I may continue to add works to this list but I will try to keep the total number to something reasonable. (On the challenge of maintaining lists)
My goal is to add lists for other years as well, time permitting.

How my fic preferences will skew the lists:

I tend to like fics which contain explicit sex, so the list will probably skew that way. However, I prefer that there be an actual plot, not just sex, and I read PG rated fics too--just fewer of them.
I like almost all the standard tropes, but I don't usually go for non-magical AUs, unhappy endings, dark!fic, or threesomes
I don't give a toss who's on top or bottom, so you'll find both here.
I shy away from epic-length fanfiction unless I'm very confident in the author, so most of my recs will be less than 100,000 words.

To celebrate the new year, I've got recs of some of my favorite 2015 Drarry fics that came out of non-Drarry focused fests (that I haven't already featured in other rec posts already, that is).

hp_kinkfest:
( Read more... )

do_me_veela:
( Read more... )

hp_mhealthfest:
( Read more... )

hp_creatures:
( Read more... )

mini_fest:
( Read more... )

~~Note: I was waiting for mini_fest to post their reveals, but I have no idea when that will be, so I gave in and posted now :)~~

Gotta have a rec list or two for Drarry Veela fics, don't I? This first set is all angsty (though the authors may sprinkle some dark humor in along with their angst too). Tomorrow's set will be light-hearted and humorous Veela fics instead :)

( Read more... )

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capitu

Yesterday vaysh got everyone on a Trope Meme kick, which was tons of fun. And then in a comment thread, she went and said:

"It would actually be fun to make rec lists of fics to go with the trope. It would take ages, though. :)

So you know me. If Vaysh makes an off-hand comment, I'm tempted to go do the thing :) (see: Who Tops More?)

So I went through the original list of 28 tropes and tried to find a representative (and awesome) HD rec for each one, while also trying not to duplicate any fics. But I decided that the original list was inadequate.

Some tropes needed to be renamed to more clearly fit HP (e.g. "High School/Uni AU" --> "8th year")
Some tropes needed to have subcategories within the trope (e.g. "Vampires/Werewolves AU" --> "Creature!fic" --> Veela, Werewolf, Vampire, etc.)

Once I did that, however, I felt like too many good fics were not being represented, so I added a bunch of additional HP tropes (second list at the end). All in all, I've recced 66 fics from 56 authors!

And even after all of that, there are still 4 tropes from the list that I could not think of any recs for:

Coffee House AU/Food Service AU
Fake Out Make Out
Incest
Selfcest

"Incest" and "Selfcest" really don't make sense for HD, but if anyone has good recs for the other two, let me know! (Coffee House AU is just not my thing, and I couldn't think of any examples of Fake Out Make Out :)

And also let me know if you think I missed any important tropes or fics that should have been recced instead

Tropes from the Meme
( Read more... )

More Tropes that Should Have Been Listed ( Read more... )

Another enjoyable

hd_smoochfest has come and gone, giving us lots of wonderful fics to read. Here are my favorites from this year's fest.

Make My Demons Run by lauren3210, NC-17, 28,000 words
( Read more... )

An Aching Soul by writcraft, NC-17, 15,000 words
( Read more... )

The Art of Perfection by create_serenity, PG-13, 19,200 words
( Read more... )

Somebody to Love by khasael, PG, 31,400 words
( Read more... )

All My Hours by cassie_black12, PG-13, 4,600 words
( Read more... )

Like Sparkling Wine by fantasyfiend09, PG, 1,300 words
( Read more... )

Because I'm curious about these things, I wondered which authors had been writing Drarry for the longest time. There have been literally thousands of Drarry fanfic authors over the years (not kidding: I've got over a thousand names in my database alone). So in order to find an answer to this question I decided to limit my results by these requirements:

The author should have published their first Drarry fic before Deathly Hallows came out on July 21, 2007
I needed some cut-off date to start with, and this seemed as reasonable a way to limit the list as any

Authors should still be currently writing Drarry
What this means for me is that an author will have published at least one new Drarry fic since May 1, 2014 (i.e. approximately in the last year)

Authors should have written at least five Drarry fics in this time period
I included this restriction because there were a few authors in my database who happened to have written one early Drarry and another one more recently but who usually write for other fandoms or ships. It didn't feel as comparable to the other authors on this list who had been more dependably Drarry/HP focused.

So who did I come up with using these restrictions?

( List of Drarry veterans )

My database is large but not infinite. Any omissions are unintentional - if you know of an author who should be on this list who I didn't include, please let me know ASAP!

Keep in mind:

You might be wondering where faithwood and who_la_hoop are on this list. So far as I can tell, they published their first Drarry fics after DH came out. If I'm wrong about that, I would love to know it!

If an author has currently written a fic which is still anonymous for a fest, I can't know that, so I couldn't factor that in. I'm sorry if that means I left anyone off this list. Let me know after reveals, and I'll fix it.

Co-authorship sometimes messes up my search results (for *reasons*) so if an author co-authored early fics I might not have realized it and may have missed them in my search. Let me know and I'll add them in!

If an author's early fics aren't dated, then I can't know when they were published and so couldn't include them in my search. Please try to verify dates for me if you think I've missed someone. (Oh hey, another reason dates matter :)

The

dracotops_harry fest has just ended, and this year I made an effort to read every fic posted!

There were several standouts; here are my recs for the best fics of the fest:

Make Me a Headline (I Want To Be That Bold) by dicta_contrion, NC-17, 31,000 words
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 ten years ago, after the war, but Draco had let his fears get the better of him and had left Harry with no explanation. Now he's the editor of the Daily Prophet, and has come across incriminating photos that he uses to blackmail Harry into going on a date with him 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. And Harry was so very hurt, and Draco's behavior seemed so very inexplicable. But 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. As much as I kinda hated Draco for hurting Harry so badly and being so thick about it, I absolutely loved the emotional build-up in this fic and how well these characters were drawn: how wonderful and patient and kind Harry is, and how much he still *gets* Draco; and how Draco can barely let himself believe that Harry might take him back. 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.

In His Nature by create_serenity, NC-17, 20,600 words
Summary: Harry agreed to have sex with Draco once a month in order to keep him alive, what he didn’t agree to was Draco popping up all over the place and disrupting his life in more ways than one.

I really enjoyed this! I'm a sucker for the whole Veela trope, and this was a great example of all the things I love about it: pining!Draco self-sacrificing!Draco and oblivious!Harry. Yum :)
Harry was really thick here, but I loved how understanding slowly dawned on him and how he started to finally *get* Draco. And him complaining that sex with a Veela wasn't as great as it had been made out to be was pretty funny too - if Draco didn't love the git so much he'd probably have to kill him for that ♥
Just oh! why did it have to end so soon? I wanted more!

The Coefficient of Friction by daftfear, NC-17, 18,100 words
Summary: The war is over, the Death Eater trials are complete, life in the wizarding world is finally getting back to normal, and Harry Potter is restless. Unsure of what he really wants and growing increasingly confused in his personal life, Harry decides to take a holiday—alone—to clear his mind and find himself. He books a trip to a wizarding resort, expecting to be the lone guest, only to find out Draco Malfoy will be there as well. Falling back on old habits, Harry determines Malfoy must be up to something. In his search to uncover Malfoy’s secrets, Harry inadvertently does what he had meant to all along—find himself.

Well written, enjoyable story giving a surprising depth of character to both Draco and Harry. I loved the subtlety of Draco's reactions to the thoughtless remarks that Harry would say - how much they revealed about Draco's true feelings. Harry here is a bit clueless (and kinda thick headed about what Draco might be 'up' to!) but ultimately sweetly open and honest in the end. And wow, the end, so hot too!

The Rewards of Bravery by lauren3210, NC-17, 13,000 words
Summary: During an Auror mission gone wrong, Harry finds himself with an unexpected new power: he can tell when people are lying. It’s incredibly annoying, except for when Draco’s around...

Lovely little story. I always like plots centered around forced truth-telling, whether that's due to veritaserum, or legilimency, or some other magical effect like this one (and this one was quite unique, which was cool!)
And I felt that Harry spent the right amount of time being confused about the ringing before Hermione figured it out. If he had figured it out for himself too quickly it wouldn't have been believable, but if his confusion had lasted too long it would have been frustrating, so this felt just right :) And the confession scene at the end was beautifully done.

Get It Right by kjp_013, PG-13, 1,750 words
Summary: Harry has a problem and there is only one person to turn to for help.

That was so cute and so fun! I loved the banter between Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and I loved how determined Harry was to learn to kiss better. Kissing lessons from Draco! And Draco being so blase, like, sure, why not, let's do this, and Harry not realizing that learning how to kiss would actually involve, you know, *kissing*.
Truly a lovely little story, I only wish it had been longer!

The 'That Picture' flash fest at

hd_remix was such a treat that it needs two posts! My previous post contained quotes from all of the wonderful stories generated by Alekina's picture, while here I'm just going to rec my favorites :)

When Alekina first posted her amazing artwork, I was inspired to create a list of Dark Mark removal fic recs (though maybe I should have called them "Dark Mark modification fics" since the mark is not always removed!).
This can be thought of as "part 2" of that list ♥

Best fics from 'That Picture' flash fest, novella category:

Unexpected Consequences by lauren3210, NC-17, 39,200 words
Summary: Harry was going back to school. He was going to play Quidditch, sleep in lessons, hang out with his friends, and generally just enjoy being a kid for a change. And he was also going to do it while being bonded with Malfoy, because apparently life was just going to continue throwing curveballs at him. Harry didn't know why he expected anything different.

This fic has both all the feels and all the sex! My two favorite things!
The characterizations of Harry, Draco, and Hermione in this fic are so well done. We understand right away why Draco would agree to be bonded to Harry for the year, and why Harry would (reluctantly) agree to this as well.
There are so many wonderful details throughout the fic that reveal how much attention Harry and Draco had been paying to each other in previous years and why they know each other's habits and preferences so well. And there's this whole section where Draco is first musing on the rumor mill and his own feelings and wants for Harry, which was simultaneously incredibly moving and incredibly hot.
And there's so much wonderful wonderful sex in this story! But best of all, all of the sex scenes are important in terms of character development and plot. They are not merely gratuitous.
This was a wonderful, wonderful story, and I'm so, so, happy that it sprang from my prompt. But honestly, even if this hadn't been written for me, I would have loved it still. It's fantastic. (extended rec at hd-storyroom)
Dark Mark remastered: Harry takes over the control of the mark, but doesn't change it

Like Diamonds We Are Cut With Our Own Dust by raitala, NC-17, 10,914 words
Summary: Draco has borne the mark of the Dark Lord for over ten years. It is familiar to him, but he pays the price for it every day, and Harry has noticed.

This was so beautiful, and so perfect! The image she painted with her words fit the image Alekina painted with her brushes just flawlessly.
The premise here is that Harry and Draco are partnered cursebreakers. Harry comes to realize that Draco's mark is a drag on his magic and that it has been searching for a new master. Indeed, Harry can feel the pull of the mark on himself and offers to remove it. It's a question of trust: can Draco trust Harry to remove the mark without installing himself as its new master, and can Harry trust himself not to give in to temptation? I just adore Raitala's dry wit in this story. So many wonderful lines. And I'm in love with her biting, sarcastic, irreverent Draco, and her restrained yet oh-so-powerful Harry too.
Dark Mark removal: Harry decides to remove Draco's mark

Where Darkness Follows by alpha_exodus, NC-17, 12,000 words
Summary: Harry dreams of snakes and darkness, and Malfoy is always watching him.

This was a really really fascinating story and well told. I was totally sucked in and trying to figure out what was actually going on! What was the connection between Harry and Draco and why does it make Harry's head hurt? Fortunately, the revelations at the end were delicious and lovely and heart-wrenching. ♥
Dark Mark removal: Harry decides to remove Draco's mark

Best fics from 'That Picture' flash fest, single scene category:

Harry Potter and the Mysterious Portrait Painter (or How Harry Came To Realise Draco Has A Magnificent Arse) by create_serenity, PG-13, 1,600 words
Summary: No one had much minded when the pictures first started appearing; even Draco only greeted them with a raised eyebrow. Now it seemed Harry really should have given them more thought.

This was an utterly delightful scene. The dialogue was just great: absurdly meta and full of wonderful snarky banter. And I loved that Draco was fully conscious of just how devastatingly attractive he looked :) My only complaint is that the story needs a continuation! Why is Alekina painting portraits at Hogwarts, and when will Harry and Draco just give in and start snogging? The public needs to know!
Dark Mark meta humor: Draco asks Harry what he's doing to his mark

The Artist by lumosed_quill, PG-13, 1,200 words
Summary: They said a thousand Galleons would buy the best. I should have known. Nobody uses language like that unless they mean him.

Beautiful and intense and with a terrific ending. I loved the way we got into Draco's head in this scene - that Draco hadn't known it would be Harry until he saw him arrive, and that Harry had no obvious reaction to seeing that it was Draco. And the way she described how Harry touched Draco as he was removing the mark was perfect. Now that's just how I'll always picture it.
Dark Mark removal: Harry is asked to remove Draco's mark

And just to entice you further, don't forget these were all inspired by this wonderful piece of Drarry fan art:

He wants to laugh at the irony, he really does, as he lets Potter
brand his arm and override the dark mark with a new one.

credit (art and quote): Alekina

"That Picture" Scenes

The 'That Picture' flash fest at hd_remix has just ended and I am in awe of all the amazing stories inspired by Alekina's fantastic art:

He wants to laugh at the irony, he really does, as he lets Potter
brand his arm and override the dark mark with a new one.

credit (art and quote): Alekina

The old saying is that 'a picture is worth a thousand words', but in this case it was actually worth over 92,000 words from 11 different authors :)

I thought it would be cool to excerpt quotes from each of the fest fics of the scene which most closely resembles Alekina's picture. In order of publication:

( Read more... )

Note: my previous rec list of Dark Mark removal fics were not inspired by Alekina's art, so I will be posting a new set of selected recs from this fest ~~shortly~~! here.

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Page Summary

Snowgall's Best of Drarry Fanfiction: 2015
Fic recs from assorted 2015 HP fests
Mini-theme: Veela fics (angsty)
Rec list for all the tropes :)
Fic recs from HD-Smoochfest 2015
Who are the Drarry Veterans?
Fic recs from DracoTops-Harry 2015
Fic recs from 'That Picture' flash fest, or: Dark Mark Removal fic recs, part 2
Some pictures are worth more than 1,000 words

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snowgall

Fandom stats, meta, and rec lists

Entries tagged with author:create_serenity

Snowgall's Best of Drarry Fanfiction: 2015

Fic recs from assorted 2015 HP fests

Mini-theme: Veela fics (angsty)

Rec list for all the tropes :)

Fic recs from HD-Smoochfest 2015

Who are the Drarry Veterans?

Fic recs from DracoTops-Harry 2015

Fic recs from 'That Picture' flash fest, or: Dark Mark Removal fic recs, part 2

Some pictures are worth more than 1,000 words