Harry Potter for adults
Title: The Partner Interviews
Author: soul_bound_8686
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: pre-slash? if that's a warning?
Summary: On the last day of the Auror training program, a series of interviews under Veritaserum will determine who each trainee will be partnered with for the duration of their career. Harry may learn more in the course of eight hours than he did in the previous three years combined.
Why I loved it: I just felt that this story was extremely well executed. I love the idea, and I thought it was a rather realistic way of getting them together.Most auror stories use the idea of making them partners in order to get them together, but this one is different. It's one of those stories that left me with a thought of, "Ah, perfect."
Excerpt:
“I am a different person now than I was as a child. I was spoiled, bitter, and cruel, but I am proud of the person I have become. Potter had the luxury of being born into the role of a hero; I did not, yet I was strong enough break out of the role I was cast in. I resent that he does not understand how difficult this was for me, how difficult it was to admit that I was wrong, and I resent that he does not see me for the good man that I have become.”
Harry was floored. He’d had no idea that Malfoy’s feelings ran this deep, no idea that he, Harry, had only seen a caricature of the much more complex work that that man truly was.
“Are you interested in developing a friendship with Mr. Potter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I am… drawn to him.”
“Why?”
“I like him.”
Title: On the Couch
Author: frayach
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: heavy angst, not exactly a perfectly tied up happy ending
Summary: It’s a Mind Healer’s worse nightmare to lose a patient to suicide, but Mind Healer Nick Nichols can attest to the fact that a murder/suicide is even worse. If only Dr. Freud had come up with a sure cure for love.
Why I loved it: This story is absolutely amazing. It left me reeling and emotionally fucked. The writing is exceptional and the originality is definitely there. It's from an outside mind-healer's POV, which surprisingly adds richly to the already rich subject matter of the story instead of taking away from it as in some pieces. The author knows exactly what they are writing about and the characterization is extremely well done. Draco's character alone...gah. He's not generic fandom Draco in any way. The author has truly made him their own and shares him with us in such a way that we can't help being drawn to him despite the fact that he is a mighty flawed individual. Harry's character is also very ungeneric. He's a Harry that some may not like as he is quite different from the Harry we normally read about. The emotion in the story is a character in of itself. It will pull at your heartstrings and make you question the actions and morality of the characters as well as your own views on love. Exceptional exceptional story...I think this author could easily write their own original story, and people would love it.
Excerpt:
“Then what, Draco? What is it that you wanted me to do? Wank myself dry over photographs of you in the paper, walking around with a gentile hand at the base of her spine. Now that’s she pregnant, I’m particularly looking forward to photos of you two bloody beaming your faces off. I wanted a life, Draco. And I wanted it with you.”
Draco’s wand arm is shaking so hard I can’t imagine he’d even have the aim to hit a troll.
“Ginny is kind to me. Her family is kind to me. No one fire calls me at two in the morning and begs me to meet him at such-and-such inn or in some bloody alley somewhere.”
“You’ll never be truly happy with her,” Draco hisses. “Your perfect little life will be just as much of a sham as mine is.”
Title: As Souls From Bodies Steal
Author: femmequixotic
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: suicide of minor character, past non-con/rape, angst
Summary: Hope may be found in the oddest of places, even in the bleakness of winter.
Why I loved it: I truly do not normally read stories with heavy angst, but between this story and the last, I might start. Rarely do I feel that issues of rape during Voldemort's reign are handled well by authors. Rarely do I feel that authors are able to write about truly horrific things happening during the time of the books and make me believe they could have actually occurred had JKR been writing for adults only. This author accomplishes those things. I also consider it an accomplishment if I am interested in a story simply for the story's sake and not just for the H/D. Draco's plight, characterization, and his back story were enough to keep me interested even if there had been no H/D at all (at least I'm pretty sure).
Excerpt:
"Draco," Mother says, and when she looks at me her face is wet with tears. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, sliding free from the charmed pins that usually hold it in perfect place. "Oh, my Draco." She reaches for me. Her clothes are streaked with blood.
Father's blood.
It stains the sleeve of her robe, her shoulder, the curve of her breast where she must have held him to her, screaming.
My legs give out beneath me. I sink to the floor with a keening cry, my face buried against my mother's lap. I twist my fingers in her robe, trying to steady myself.
After all the threats, he's finally done it. He's left us. Alone.
Bastard.
Author: soul_bound_8686
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: pre-slash? if that's a warning?
Summary: On the last day of the Auror training program, a series of interviews under Veritaserum will determine who each trainee will be partnered with for the duration of their career. Harry may learn more in the course of eight hours than he did in the previous three years combined.
Why I loved it: I just felt that this story was extremely well executed. I love the idea, and I thought it was a rather realistic way of getting them together.Most auror stories use the idea of making them partners in order to get them together, but this one is different. It's one of those stories that left me with a thought of, "Ah, perfect."
Excerpt:
“I am a different person now than I was as a child. I was spoiled, bitter, and cruel, but I am proud of the person I have become. Potter had the luxury of being born into the role of a hero; I did not, yet I was strong enough break out of the role I was cast in. I resent that he does not understand how difficult this was for me, how difficult it was to admit that I was wrong, and I resent that he does not see me for the good man that I have become.”
Harry was floored. He’d had no idea that Malfoy’s feelings ran this deep, no idea that he, Harry, had only seen a caricature of the much more complex work that that man truly was.
“Are you interested in developing a friendship with Mr. Potter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I am… drawn to him.”
“Why?”
“I like him.”
Title: On the Couch
Author: frayach
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: heavy angst, not exactly a perfectly tied up happy ending
Summary: It’s a Mind Healer’s worse nightmare to lose a patient to suicide, but Mind Healer Nick Nichols can attest to the fact that a murder/suicide is even worse. If only Dr. Freud had come up with a sure cure for love.
Why I loved it: This story is absolutely amazing. It left me reeling and emotionally fucked. The writing is exceptional and the originality is definitely there. It's from an outside mind-healer's POV, which surprisingly adds richly to the already rich subject matter of the story instead of taking away from it as in some pieces. The author knows exactly what they are writing about and the characterization is extremely well done. Draco's character alone...gah. He's not generic fandom Draco in any way. The author has truly made him their own and shares him with us in such a way that we can't help being drawn to him despite the fact that he is a mighty flawed individual. Harry's character is also very ungeneric. He's a Harry that some may not like as he is quite different from the Harry we normally read about. The emotion in the story is a character in of itself. It will pull at your heartstrings and make you question the actions and morality of the characters as well as your own views on love. Exceptional exceptional story...I think this author could easily write their own original story, and people would love it.
Excerpt:
“Then what, Draco? What is it that you wanted me to do? Wank myself dry over photographs of you in the paper, walking around with a gentile hand at the base of her spine. Now that’s she pregnant, I’m particularly looking forward to photos of you two bloody beaming your faces off. I wanted a life, Draco. And I wanted it with you.”
Draco’s wand arm is shaking so hard I can’t imagine he’d even have the aim to hit a troll.
“Ginny is kind to me. Her family is kind to me. No one fire calls me at two in the morning and begs me to meet him at such-and-such inn or in some bloody alley somewhere.”
“You’ll never be truly happy with her,” Draco hisses. “Your perfect little life will be just as much of a sham as mine is.”
Title: As Souls From Bodies Steal
Author: femmequixotic
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: suicide of minor character, past non-con/rape, angst
Summary: Hope may be found in the oddest of places, even in the bleakness of winter.
Why I loved it: I truly do not normally read stories with heavy angst, but between this story and the last, I might start. Rarely do I feel that issues of rape during Voldemort's reign are handled well by authors. Rarely do I feel that authors are able to write about truly horrific things happening during the time of the books and make me believe they could have actually occurred had JKR been writing for adults only. This author accomplishes those things. I also consider it an accomplishment if I am interested in a story simply for the story's sake and not just for the H/D. Draco's plight, characterization, and his back story were enough to keep me interested even if there had been no H/D at all (at least I'm pretty sure).
Excerpt:
"Draco," Mother says, and when she looks at me her face is wet with tears. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, sliding free from the charmed pins that usually hold it in perfect place. "Oh, my Draco." She reaches for me. Her clothes are streaked with blood.
Father's blood.
It stains the sleeve of her robe, her shoulder, the curve of her breast where she must have held him to her, screaming.
My legs give out beneath me. I sink to the floor with a keening cry, my face buried against my mother's lap. I twist my fingers in her robe, trying to steady myself.
After all the threats, he's finally done it. He's left us. Alone.
Bastard.