Rectober: 1/4
I'm crap at commenting on and recommending fic, generally. I'm sure at the start of this year i said i was going to rec one fic a month. Ten months later and... like i said, i'm crap. So this Rectober, i'm going to tell you about four or five Harry/Draco fan works i fucking love. My absolute favourites. Most people will likely have already heard of and read them, but i don't so much mind. I'm using it as an opportunity to gush and put words to why i love them so much.
banner by capitu
Take These Lies by white-serpent
○ R ○ ~35k ○ Gender done right
Pairings: Harry/Draco (stated or strongly implied, but not shown: Pansy/Blaise, Pansy/Blaise/Draco, Draco/various, Ron/Hermione)
Summary: Repeatedly rejected by the Auror training program, Draco Malfoy attempts an unorthodox disguise to gain admission.
Warnings: Genderswap, dubious consent (Harry doesn't know it's Draco)
This fic. This fic may be my very favourite fic ever. Whenever i feel like a re-read of something, this is always top of the list. I've read it so many times, it's got to the point where i don't even read it all, i just skip to the best bits. I don't often read genderswap or genderbending fics, because they so often aren't done well enough (imo!). So often gender is reduced to a cliche, that because Draco wears high heels or Harry wears a dress, it makes them feminie. Draco in make up makes him beautiful, or Harry crying makes him overly emotional. Can't they just be characters who like to dress and act however they chose without it being a gender thing? Can gender (and seriously, people, gender ≠ sex) just fuck off and stop exsiting? I wear trousers, no make up and don't shave my legs, does that make me masculine? No. So why should skirts, lip stick and smooth legs make anyone feminie? So, i have opinions about gender, but my point is, this fic deals with them excellently. Draco is just Draco, whether he has a penis or a vagina, he's still himself. And so the issues come not from an internal place, but from an external place. Namely, from Harry and his interest in Draco. It puts Draco in a difficult postion, which he doesn't deal with perfectly, but i don't think anyone would. He deals with it humanly. Argh, i just love this fic.
There is also an excellent author's commentery to accompy it, which i equally recommend, once you've read the fic.
[Excerpt]
Excerpt:
The next week brought him something he couldn't dismiss. He'd joined Potter and Weasley for a few pints Friday evening after training. It was nearly eight when he rose to leave. He took a few steps from the table, then heard Potter's call, "Aquila, wait," behind him.
The pub was quiet enough that he could hear Weasley mutter, "It's your funeral, mate."
Potter caught at Draco's arm, fingers warm through the sleeve. "Look, can we talk?"
"I thought we were. Had been." He smiled when he heard himself. He wasn't pissed; just drunk enough to make him stumble when he spoke.
Potter dropped his hand, and then raised it again to run through his hair. It was none too orderly when he started, and downright chaotic when he finished. Draco's fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and straighten it. "I know; that's not what I -- I mean, I like you. I really do. Would you consider having dinner with me? Not like we usually do. As a date." Potter's eyes were warm. "I've made a hash of this, I know I have."
Draco's lips were numb. "You haven't." Potter grinned, then, and Draco felt suddenly sick. He took a step backward, toward the pub door. "I can't. I'm sorry. I don't date. You know that. This won't work."
Potter's eyes closed. He took a slow, visible breath before opening them again. The corner of his mouth twitched up, then down. "I know that. I hoped that I think this could work. I wish you'd let me try."
Draco winced, taking another step back. "No. Harry -- Potter -- I can't." He spun on his heel and walked swiftly to the door.
The shock had cleared his head. Stone cold sober, he Apparated home.
banner by capitu
Take These Lies by white-serpent
○ R ○ ~35k ○ Gender done right
Pairings: Harry/Draco (stated or strongly implied, but not shown: Pansy/Blaise, Pansy/Blaise/Draco, Draco/various, Ron/Hermione)
Summary: Repeatedly rejected by the Auror training program, Draco Malfoy attempts an unorthodox disguise to gain admission.
Warnings: Genderswap, dubious consent (Harry doesn't know it's Draco)
This fic. This fic may be my very favourite fic ever. Whenever i feel like a re-read of something, this is always top of the list. I've read it so many times, it's got to the point where i don't even read it all, i just skip to the best bits. I don't often read genderswap or genderbending fics, because they so often aren't done well enough (imo!). So often gender is reduced to a cliche, that because Draco wears high heels or Harry wears a dress, it makes them feminie. Draco in make up makes him beautiful, or Harry crying makes him overly emotional. Can't they just be characters who like to dress and act however they chose without it being a gender thing? Can gender (and seriously, people, gender ≠ sex) just fuck off and stop exsiting? I wear trousers, no make up and don't shave my legs, does that make me masculine? No. So why should skirts, lip stick and smooth legs make anyone feminie? So, i have opinions about gender, but my point is, this fic deals with them excellently. Draco is just Draco, whether he has a penis or a vagina, he's still himself. And so the issues come not from an internal place, but from an external place. Namely, from Harry and his interest in Draco. It puts Draco in a difficult postion, which he doesn't deal with perfectly, but i don't think anyone would. He deals with it humanly. Argh, i just love this fic.
There is also an excellent author's commentery to accompy it, which i equally recommend, once you've read the fic.
[Excerpt]
Excerpt:
The next week brought him something he couldn't dismiss. He'd joined Potter and Weasley for a few pints Friday evening after training. It was nearly eight when he rose to leave. He took a few steps from the table, then heard Potter's call, "Aquila, wait," behind him.
The pub was quiet enough that he could hear Weasley mutter, "It's your funeral, mate."
Potter caught at Draco's arm, fingers warm through the sleeve. "Look, can we talk?"
"I thought we were. Had been." He smiled when he heard himself. He wasn't pissed; just drunk enough to make him stumble when he spoke.
Potter dropped his hand, and then raised it again to run through his hair. It was none too orderly when he started, and downright chaotic when he finished. Draco's fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and straighten it. "I know; that's not what I -- I mean, I like you. I really do. Would you consider having dinner with me? Not like we usually do. As a date." Potter's eyes were warm. "I've made a hash of this, I know I have."
Draco's lips were numb. "You haven't." Potter grinned, then, and Draco felt suddenly sick. He took a step backward, toward the pub door. "I can't. I'm sorry. I don't date. You know that. This won't work."
Potter's eyes closed. He took a slow, visible breath before opening them again. The corner of his mouth twitched up, then down. "I know that. I hoped that I think this could work. I wish you'd let me try."
Draco winced, taking another step back. "No. Harry -- Potter -- I can't." He spun on his heel and walked swiftly to the door.
The shock had cleared his head. Stone cold sober, he Apparated home.