FIC: A Better Bargain Driven (R)

[dracotops_mods]

Title: A Better Bargain Driven
Author: lomonaaeren
Prompt: #64
Summary: Two years of war. Draco’s forgotten what it’s like to want something possible. But now, he has two things: the possibility of freedom from the Dark Lord, and Harry Potter’s arse. Perhaps not in that order.
Rating: R
Warning(s): (highlight for details): * Dub-con at the beginning, AU (

Comments

[dicta_contrion]

Well damn, MA, I was definitely supposed to get up an hour ago, but started this last night and was so curious and intrigued by finding out what would happen next that...well, here I still am after devouring the last 2/3. The way you built the canon divergence and broke up the chapters left me always wanting to see what would happen next, and I definitely wasn't disappointed!

Speaking of the canon divergence, fab job of building in all these details that gave a great, clear picture of what had changed and what hadn't, and of setting the stage for the ending. Which was clever and satisfying and cool!

The atmosphere you built really conveyed the claustrophobia and bleakness of Voldemort's rule effectively and felt like it could have fit with canon, especially with the peeks you gave us at canonically important places and the details of spells and snakes and the ending.

The atmosphere also motivated Draco beautifully. After experiencing a taste of that with him, I didn't at all question his motives for defecting or his willingness to take those risks. I also didn't question that this Draco would chose the trade that he did, or that he would find relief in and cling to his time with Harry once he had it. Which I really really liked seeing - that you didn't make him good, or incapacitatedly terrified, but that his avarice and entitlement and fear and intelligence and magical knowledge could be what led him to defect and what made him feel empowered to fight back. It was a really cool exploration of how things could have gone that, again, felt like it could have fit with Draco as he is in canon, and I was just super excited to see that.

Lots and lots of cool details, too! The letters, Tonks and her metamorphmagus abilities (so clever!!), the snakes (so creepy!!), the spells and blankets at their meetings, the potion, the Manor's magic, the Hallows...it was all great and built this really engaging world.

And then the questions you left off with! About Dumbledore and Harry trying to figure out how to place him, Snape's motivations, How Draco and Harry would move forward...I love that you didn't tie everything up in a bow, but I still felt satisfied and like I knew enough. That's a hard balance to strike, I think, but it's really well done and effective.

Basically, had a great time dwelling in this world and love all the amazing details and world building and fit with canon and questions! Thought provoking and engaging and really, really good. Thank you, MA!!

[lomonaaeren]

Thank you so much! The mods actually suggested breaking the story up into chapters on AO3; originally it was posted as one long story. I'm grateful to them for that, especially since you felt it worked so well.

It's so hard to get an AU built in the depth I want it to be without letting the worldbuilding overwhelm the story and just be infodumps. Glad that it worked for you.

No, Draco is not a good person. Or a nice person. But he is a deeply invested one in Harry, by then. Thank you for your comments on him! I don't think Draco probably wanted to be a Death Eater beyond, oh, the first five minutes after he met Voldemort, but it would take a long time for his fear for his own life and his parents' lives to wear away.

The Blood Letters, admittedly, were invented solely because I needed a secure line of conversation between Harry and Draco. But thank you for liking them. :)

I wanted a Snape POV, but it wouldn't have fit into the story structure well at all. Thank you for remarking on that, though. Maybe I'll write a sequel later.

Thank you, again, for your comment. You made my week.