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

[capitu]

I love the subtle change in Draco, how at first it was definitely to humiliate Harry, but then he loved the way Harry reacted, how alive he felt. And then when he made Harry tell him about the Horcruxes, how he couldn't even contemplate the idea that Harry had to die. I love that!

Potter was the most alive person Draco had ever met. It would never have been like this with anyone else, because they wouldn’t have responded to Draco’s demands with such insults, such fire, such shudders.

And Draco was going to make sure that Potter stayed alive.

And Harry, too, even if he truly hated what Draco was doing at first, it was Draco he looked for when he needed an escape from all those thoughts, from the knowledge, rather.

I really liked how you wrote Voldemort, the paranoia and distrust so vivid, how there was no one safe, very, very nice.

I really enjoyed this alternate version of canon, very well done! :D

[lomonaaeren]

Thank you!

I'm glad that you found the transition of Draco's feelings natural. I didn't know if the story was long enough to make them seem that way. He did have a ways to go from wanting to humiliate Harry to wanting to save him! On the other hand, by that time he had so much time invested in Harry that he felt really opposed to the thought of letting him die.

Harry also felt that Draco was so different from his friends that he made the perfect escape, I think. Hermione and Ron could help, but not let him forget. And that's as good a beginning as any to a deeper relationship.

Thank you so much for commenting, and at such length!

[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

[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

[leontinabowie]

Oh my gosh, I don't think I can express how much I loved this story

[lomonaaeren]

Thank you so much

[gracerene]

WOW, MA, this was a really wonderful read! I don't read too many fics that go AU pre DH, just because canon is so ingrained in me, but this did a wonderful job skillfully and naturally showing what was the same and what had changed so that I felt like I knew exactly where I was in the story.

I do so love me some dub-con, and the way you built that at the beginning, showing Harry's horror and reluctance and the way it begins to turn into reluctant desire was all so great!

Voldemort and the torture and life under his regime was all suitably gruesome, and I really enjoyed seeing Voldemort's escalation and paranoia. It totally makes sense that he would get to that point if given more time.

Really, just a captivating read all around!

[lomonaaeren]

Thank you! Well, I don't usually write those fics, so I'm even gladder that you gave this fic a chance. :)

Yes, the dubious consent is pretty intense. When I write it, it's very different for me than when I read it, because I'm usually deep in a character POV and thinking about it the way they would. So it was a little shock later to realize how it would come across from the outside. But at least it seems to have worked for you.

Voldemort strikes me as so paranoid even in canon that I was always surprised he hadn't murdered half his Death Eaters!

Thanks again.

[akira_tm]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA I really really reaaaalllyyyy love it!
That was WOW! Such a wonderful read ♥ ♥ ♥
Very well done >__

[lomonaaeren]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it.