snowgall

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!