my angst is a very fangirl class angst

To take a break from current plotting about our post-non-kosher-hotdog flu lives in a technopunk universe (again, internet, no running water--save your engineers for the love of God), I hit again the fact that no matter how much you love an author, or love a story you read by them, reading all their fic will never, ever end well. It has nothing to do with quality--it has to do with quirks, and this holds true with professionals as well as fanfic writers. Which is why I restrict myself on reading pros and never, ever making the mistake of ordering or reading more than two books by a single author a year unless they are in vastly different genres (and that does not work with Stephen King at all).

[Exceptions for series, but even then, do them all at once fast. No delay.]

It's the quirk thing.

Every author has them. In fanfic, where we stay in fandom and have certain key subjects we like to gnaw on, it can be (but not always) much, much worse. It's more than view of a character, or plot, or whatever. It can be actual sentence construction. One author, and I don't remember, who, had this horrible habit of never splitting her infinitives. I know that's theoretically proper grammar (or Latin applied to English, whatever), but it reads awkward when applied to too much dialogue. Reading as part of many authors work is better, as it spreads out the concentration. But say, and I mean this, I flinch when I think of anyone newly discovering Smallville and trying to hit all ninety-something stories I wrote in the fandom, because I get irritated with my quirks on re-reading and that has to grate. Heck, even limiting to 2002 work where I was really grooving in exercising a change in style and that's like, grounds for shooting me.

Remixes were the time I first realized I could (temporarily) hate an author forever because I had to read all their work to find something to remix, but I've been in the middle of a moody spell of moodiness and ran back to Harry Potter and hit an author who was really good. Then I read half her published work and kind of wnat to kill Draco over a slow fire. It's not pretty.

This is a long way to ask, and I know I am taking my life in my hands, if anyone has any recs for Harry/Draco written by someone who doesn't hate Harry? For variety's sake. I don't mind him turning evil or anything. I mind him spending more than five paragraphs angsting how he has destroyed Draco's fragile soul by not loving him enough. Or something.

(In other words, I'm stuck on this Merlin fic and I can't read anything Merlin until I'm unstuck or I'll accidentally pick up something from someone else and not even notice. Or stop writing it. This is physically painful. I hate not being able to read in my own damn fandom.)

Conversely, any Merlin RPS would be appreciated as well. I think it's safe to read that.

Comments

[burntcopper.livejournal.com]

blythely's politics au/future fics are immense fun if somewhat cracky - her fic lj is byblythe.

and huh, really? I have no problem with reading whole bunches of fic or published works by the same author - but then I've been known to read an entire series of books week by week, and used to read comics a lot.

[bendtothesun.livejournal.com]

Everyone is reccing everything I came to rec! So yes anything by byblythe is wonderful. I can't decide if I love Currency (one of my favorite things about Currency is that they're all grown up, there's no petty little high school... crap coming over into the adult world for the most part) or Corridors of Power more. That being said she has a very distinctive style so you'll probably want to read one now and save one for later?

Although all this not being able to read it all is very confusing as I tend to gulp it all down and then mourn if there's no more. *sadface*

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Er, I assume you've read Gatewaygirl's stuff? (http://www.fictionalley.org/authors/gatewaygirl/)Snakes and Lions is one of my fave Harry/Draco fics (just in case you haven't, don't read the last chapter - you have to ignore that and move on to the Extended Ending) Her novel Blood Magic is my fave fic in the fandom, but it's not slash, it's Snape turning out to be Harry's dad.

In fact, now I think I have to go read one or both of them *loses a day*

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

I have to second the Blood Magic rec - I adore that fic. And there is Harry/Draco flirting and Harry is intelligent and sneaky and fun. For once.

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

One author, and I don't remember, who, had this horrible habit of never splitting her infinitives. I know that's theoretically proper grammar (or Latin applied to English, whatever), but it reads awkward when applied to too much dialogue.

And then you get someone like C. J. Cherryh, whose style makes ever so much more sense once you find out that she taught high school Latin for many many years. (The ablative absolute is alive and well on Downbelow Station.)

[soho-iced.livejournal.com]

I was just going to mention her on the 'quirky style' subject, though it wouldn't necessarily stop me from reading several in quick succession. (Just speeding through her latest now in fact.) The other SF writer who seems to get more rarified and mannered, not to say quirky, with every book I read is Janny Wurts.

[derryere.livejournal.com]

no matter how much you love an author, or love a story you read by them, reading all their fic will never, ever end well. Ugh. It's sad how true that is. I think that to a certain point, finding those quirks and recognising them is almost fun--as in, oh I'm so into this author, I GET THEM SO WELL, that I can totally sense how they're gonna write something before they even WRITE it. But that never really lasts long, and then come the irritations. I'm always a bit wary of truly liking the works of prolific writers, because I know I wouldn't read it all, and that just sort of feels like a waste/shame. Like you can't possibly like them THAT much if you haven't read everything, which is bs, yes, but it still feels like that :P THOUGH ANYWAY, yes, I know what you mean. There's probably one author out there who I could read no matter what, which is--not a lot, if you consider how many writers you can say you love and mean it. YEP.

if anyone has any recs for Harry/Draco written by someone who doesn't hate Harry? How gross would it be to self-pimp at this stage? Oh wells. Can't lose if you don't try. AND LOSING IS MY FAV. Link! (http://community.livejournal.com/hp_yule_balls/31426.html) It's Harryhate free :D At least on Harry's part. Or. Well. The thing--I--

*shuts up now*

Re: RPS. OH, anything by spiny! Heartbreaking, some of it, but nggh. So good. This (http://www.montanaharper.com/2009/04/06/the-chronology-of-a-relationship-with-emphasis-on-sexual-milestones/) one is also very, very sweet, as is this (http://johnnypurple.livejournal.com/95398.html?style=mine) one. ORANGES! BATHS! BOYS! ♥ And, what the heck, have already whored myself out once, can't hurt to do it again--:O (http://derryere.livejournal.com/106433.html)

[puckling.livejournal.com]

If it makes you feel any better, I was totally going to recommend your epic RPS with no title, only I decided to look in the comments first.

So, basically, what she said, and I'll toss in coffeejunkii's And Nobody Wears a Crown (http://coffeejunkii.livejournal.com/752266.html), because Irish names are confusing, and I really should be writing a paper for my contemporary Irish poetry class.

[jade-dragoness.livejournal.com]

Um, Eclipse by PhoenixSong found @ http://www.fictionalley.org/authors/phoenixsong/eclipse.html

is looooooooooong and still one of my faves for rereading even if I haven't swam in the HP fandom for a few years.

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

I've only started reading RPS.

Here's one that I thought was hilarious.

http://auroraprimavera.livejournal.com/31341.html - Colin & Bradley's LJs by Author: AURORAPRIMAVERA –

[starry-diadem.livejournal.com]

mad_martha's The Lodger for believable Harry/Draco. It was written a while ago so isn't canon compliant past book 4 and isn't explicit, but it is very well written. Part one is here : http://marthas-library.livejournal.com/4835.html

[slythhearted.livejournal.com]

Here's the link to my H/D bookmarks http://delicious.com/Slythhearted/hp+harry%2Fdraco

I have them tagged as worksafe or notworksafe so you don't accidentally open up anything NC17 on a work computer.

edited for coherency : )

[seperis.livejournal.com]

You are *deeply* aweosme. Thank you!

[chopchica.livejournal.com]

See, I'm totally the opposite, at least with books. I *love* finding a new author and then reading their entire backlist in a matter of days. I tend to submerge myself in a happy author haze and only come up for air when I've finished. I read the first nine Dresden Files books in four days, and two weeks ago, I read all of Karen Rose's books.

I mean, yes, occasionally I find somebody who tends to hit more annoying buttons as I go on, but overall, a serious author glom is a happy, happy thing for me. In fact, for comfort, I'll usually read the entire backlist again (like I did with Charlaine Harris and Simon Green's Nightside series last week).

But I agree with you on the fanfic. It definitely needs to be more spaced out.

Will look at H/D favorites folder and find favorites.

[chopchica.livejournal.com]

Okay, these are some of my top favorite H/D fics - the ones I read over and over and over. And you know I hate stories where one of the main characters is a dick. All of the links clustered together are a series and should be read in order of link:

http://www.silververse.net/hp/hp.htm

http://theguestroom.houseofhobbits.com/hp/Consummation.html

http://theguestroom.houseofhobbits.com/hp/Condition.html

http://yearningvoid.net/calico/lustre.html

http://www.skyehawke.com/archive/story.php?no=301
http://www.skyehawke.com/archive/story.php?no=303
http://www.skyehawke.com/archive/story.php?no=10046 - Tomorrow series by novembersnowflake

http://megyal.livejournal.com/tag/series:+the+tip+of+the+icing

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/873874/1/A_Scrap_of_Humanity
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/913550/1/The_Metamorphosis_of_Narcissus - yes, these are on ff.net, but they're also by aesc!

And Underwater Light, of course. If you haven't read it yet and need a copy, let me know.

[deadlychameleon.livejournal.com]

*makes note to look into HAM radio internet transmission methods*

http://www.tapr.org/pr_whypacketradio.html

[fairlyironic.livejournal.com]

furiosity 's Sin For Me (http://community.livejournal.com/serpentinelion/28294), which is drama
Harry never expected the peace to last forever. Dumbledore taught him better than that. He just didn't expect the next war to begin less than a month after Voldemort died. Never would he have dreamed that it would be a man's personal war against a system. The wizarding world was that system, and Harry was that man.

corvidae9 's Days Go By (http://community.livejournal.com/serpentinelion/61869), which is humor
After a grievous miscommunication that leads to five years apart, Harry has difficulty keeping his life together in the face of Draco's revenge tactics. The fact that he manages to succeed only makes Draco more intent. (Veela!Draco/Werewolf!Harry)<br />

lalejandra 's Blood Oath (http://lalejandra.livejournal.com/61002), which is also humor
"Now that we've sworn a blood oath, *I* get to fuck *you*, Malfoy," said Potter.

[ccmom.livejournal.com]

Okay. I read Harry/Draco for 9 years. I've got so many bookmarks/tags/stories saved I'd been here for days listing them. Can you narrow your request down a little? Or are you just looking for our personal favorites? By narrow I guess I mean do you want something more specific than just not hating Harry or wimpy Harry?

Otherwise:

Anything by beren_writes is gold! I love her corruption series.

Just finished rereading The Domino Effect (http://jameschick-fic.livejournal.com/31783.html#cutid1) by jameschick_fic watch the warnings! but it's brief. The story, overall, was excellent and a touch scary when you think about it too hard. An almost dark!harry story.

For something a little more angsty, try this one: Precious (http://ladyvader.livejournal.com/104537.html) by ladyvader

If you want something longer with adventure, I'm sure you've read it, but Eclipse (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1360492/1/) by Mijan.

For an older story, (translation: I haven't read it since 2003) try Reverso (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1398005/1/). I saved as one I enjoyed at the time, but I honestly can't tell you much about it. Sorry. (It's been a few years)



I really don't know which ones to recommend. *sighs* I have too many.


I was trying to find stuff that I didn't think you would have read, but wow, isn't that a challenge. lol


EDIT: Forgot to preview. I'm still learning. :(

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I haven't read a lot. Maybe twenty? And I barely remember those.

Harry/Draco and yeah, basically, authors who like both characters. Though I admit a (hidden liking) for Harry going to the dark side occasionally.

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

I rather like to read everything someone has written at once, actually. I hear you about quirks and style, though; I have a friend whose writing I recognize even anonymous and vice versa.

blythe's Corridors of Power (http://byblythe.livejournal.com/tag/corridors+of+power), AU, humor, amazing.
I do not remember who recced me this, so if it was you ... um, sorry.

[silentcs.livejournal.com]

For the Public Good (http://blamebrampton.livejournal.com/63937.html) by blamebrampton is a funny politically inclined story.

The Simple Joy of Living (http://community.livejournal.com/hd_holidays/95394.html) by mahaliem is just funny. I laugh every time I read it.

I like humor with my drama because straight-up H/D angst makes me want to go back to SGA crackfic.

[pi]

When I was in the HP fandom (years ago) I'm not sure the Harry hate had started yet. Or at least not that I noticed. I only really remember 2 stories as standing out as being wonderful.

The first was the classic fans used to convert everybody back in the day so maybe you've read it. Rhysenn's Irresistible Poison which is about love potions and allegedly inspired the 'handcuffs' part of the ship name 'guns and handcuffs'. You can find it here: http://rhysenn.morethanart.org/ip/

The second is by Ari Munami, and set in the far future of the HPverse, a mystery around love letters and the search to find out exactly who wrote them. A lovely original character and a quite believable story from a historicists standpoint (I think). You can find it here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1176023/1/The_Lightning_Letters

[sholio]

I have no Harry/Draco recs because I haven't read Harry/Draco in a bajillion years (fangirl time) - since the Cassie Claire thing happened, I think! But I know exactly what you mean about authorial quirks, in fanfic and published fiction. I haven't been able to read the entire ouvre of one author at a go since I was a teenager, and I'm getting more and more sensitive to it over the years -- in fact, it's to the point where authorial style is nearly as important to me as the other elements in the book (and wears on me very quickly). I'm currently about 5 or 6 chapters into the first Eion Culfer book I've ever read (the Artemis Fowl guy, though it's not one of that series) and I'm finding his writing style so utterly obnoxious that I doubt I'll make it through the book -- sentence fragments, erratic pacing and a "chatty" narrative style that makes me want to take the author's keyboard away.

Ahem.

But I know just what you mean about enjoying a writer's work at first, and then getting less and less enamored of it as you become more familiar with their quirks and plots and particular twists of characterization -- and, yeah, it's about a thousand times worse in fanfic than in published fiction, partly, I guess, because fanfic is mostly variations on a theme, and most authors prefer one theme and don't vary it much at all.

[blueyeti.livejournal.com]

*grin*

I completely second your assessment of Colfer. I spent a very enjoyable few years writing Artemis Fowl fanfic, and my group of Colfer-found friends all *hated* Colfer more than I've ever seen a fandom hate it's creator. The number of times we wrote collective letters listing all of his faults and why we hated him was... well, a lot. He also had the innocence to create canon clonecest, so we mostly forgave his idiocy because it was just too much fun. If you haven't gotten to some of his more brain-melting faults yet, my six year old brother has a better sense of humour than Colfer, because Colfer still thinks that fart, phlegm and barf jokes are funny.

[nafs]

For some reason most of the H/D I read is over at ff.net. If you'd told me I'd be spending that much time over at ff.net a few years ago I would have laughed in your face. Two authors to recommend:
V_V_C who has only written three stories but writes very well. I re-read Desperate Measures (a-typical dealing with the Veela cliche, some mpreg, manipulative!Dumbledore) and Raspberry Jam quite a lot.

Lomonaaeren a highly prolific writer who likes to write about grown-up Draco discovering Harry's worth and appreciating him for what he is *now* instead of what he was at school. I'd recommend her one-shot Knowing the Price and the Value most of all, but also A Year's Temptation (another Veela one, I have a thing), Building With Worn Out Tools, A Reckless Frame of Mind (and sequel A Determined Frame of Mind) , and Bloody but Unbowed (and side-story For Their Unconquerable Souls).

[strina]

Lomonaaren is AMAZING. I love most of her stories, but especially A Year's Temptation, because they actually respect and try to hold on to their marriages to other people despite being "destined" or whatever, Building with Worn Out Tools, because wizarding divorce as basically legalized warfare is genius, The Best Aurors in the Department for the awesome argument/arrest, and A Finer Unconsciousness, because I was reading it for the second time before I recognized the stylistic conceit.

[montanaharper]

I didn't have delicious when I was in HP fandom, and I don't know where my fic spreadsheet went, so no H/D recs from me.

On the other hand, here's my Bradley/Colin delicious. Pay attention to q and o tags, because something being saved doesn't mean it's being rec'd *g*; qs represent technical quality and os a more gut-level emotional resonance.

[sesshiyuki.livejournal.com]

You know, I may not be as enamored with H/D as I was four years ago, but HarryPotter is still one of my top ten tags on del.ici.ous.

Geoviki's "A Thousand Beautiful things, (http://archive.skyehawke.com/story.php?no=2226)" and "Waters of March (http://www.skyehawke.com/archive/story.php?no=600)" may belong in the Draco-redeemed-genre, but at the same time her Harry won't make your teeth grind. Oh, since you've probably read these before ... have her newest H/D fic, (http://archive.skyehawke.com/story.php?no=18626) "One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This."

Hm ... what else. Silvia's "Butter and Pigtails" (http://www.geocities.com/wanderbymistake/butterandpigtails.html) is short, but really, really cute. In 1eyedjack's "Diagon Burning," (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=1eyedjack&keyword=Diagon+Burning&filter=all) Harry's a jerk, but it's okay because Draco is a jerk right back at him? God, but it's a hysterical story full of political machinations and features quite possibly the funniest daily prophet article ever.

[zoniduck.livejournal.com]

How would you feel about an AU WIP with several yummy OCs? If you're cool with that, I highly recommend chase820 and mustangsally78's "The Man Who Lived" (http://chase820.livejournal.com/?skip=25&tag=the+man+who+lived).

Summary: January, 2002. Draco Malfoy is recalled from exile to a magic-starved Great Britain overrun by monsters. His work would be hard enough, even without a dodgy boss and meddling American aurors keeping things stirred up. And if the job doesn't kill him, Draco's new flatmate--a vastly changed Harry Potter--will almost certainly try. But Harry is not the only one who has changed.

It is Angsty (yes, with a capital A), but it is so, so delicious. The authors definitely do not hate Harry, but their Harry bears rather a lot of mental scars from the war. It does end up Harry/Draco in a pretty big way, and I'd give it an NC-17 rating overall. There's no schmoop to speak of, but there is awesome action and plot, amazing world-building jumping off from things that JKR never really explored, and the OCs are completely believable and intriguing.

I'm hoping that the fact it's a WIP won't be a deal-breaker. There are three volumes posted already, comprised of many, many chapters. It should be enough to keep you busy for quite a while.

I also second the rec for hackthis's AUs. They are crackalicious goodness. "Trade" (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=hackthis&keyword=HP:+Trade+--+an+AU+X-over&filter=all) is particularly fun.

And though I know you're looking for Draco/Harry, when speaking of hackthis I have to mention "The Thousandth Man" (http://hackthis.livejournal.com/tag/hp:+the+thousandth+man), because it is made of awesome. It's Neville Longbottom/Theodore Nott (Wait, what??? Who the hell writes that pairing? Is Theodore Nott even a real character?), so it's practically original fic, but it's set at Hogwarts during 7th year. I'm a big fan of taking under-developed, under-utilized characters from canon, and giving them the full fanfic treatment, and this fic is a prime example of how to do it right.

[fyrdrakken]

I'm gonna hope you ran across Maya/Mistful's stuff in the past, because she's changed her LJ name to sarahtales what with becoming a published author now, and yanked all her fic offline. (Though she gave ample warning beforehand, and stuck all her fic into a PDF. Which of course I saved. I'd just need to remember to grab it at home at some point, did you want it.) Anyway, she's hilarious and wrote brilliant Draco and didn't hate Harry at all. I still adore the one where she had it up to there with veela!Draco fic and wrote one where Harry turned out to be a veela instead -- it was glorious and hilarious and Harry and Draco were both Aurors and partners.

[eponymousanon.livejournal.com]

Oh hi there lovely lady. My last computer blew up while containing my sole copy of Maya! Any chance I could nab them from you?

[pir8fancier.livejournal.com]

I have a list of favorites on my website. It's a general all purpose list (and by no means comprehensive), but the HP recs are at the top. Anything by byblythe is superb and without peer.

http://pir8fancier.nfshost.com/index_files/Page3812.htm

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Oooh you are awesome. *purrs* Recs yay!

[strina]

Okay, so I am obligated to rec The Sacrifices Arc, because it is the STORY OF MY HEART. It is dark and complex and AMAZING and it began as an experiment on the author's part to see if certain cliches could be done well. The first book is okay, but the second is fantastic. I have a longer rec here.

Starts with a Spin is the best drinking game fic ever. The Pitfalls of Alcohol Abuse is a very nonshippy H/D story that is hilarious. The Veela Enigma is pretty awesome for a Veela fic. The Worst Happiest Day of His Life ties for "best forced marriage fic ever". Take What You Can Get and Take Me Down (War is Hell Remix) has forbidden double-agent sex. Legend is a dreamy fairy-tale of a fic. More of a Grimm Brothers fairy tale than Disney, though. Secrets is a good post-HBP fic. Parselsmut is Parsel-fueled orgy fic with Harry/Draco and Hermione/Snape as the emotionally significant pairings. Trio Trifecta: Prelude to a Kiss has a Harry and Draco that are all fucked-up about each other. Hermione and Ron are collateral damage.

...I have more if you want them.

[sesshiyuki.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, The Sacrifices Arc is the BEST.

[clairshadows.livejournal.com]

I normally do read through as much of an author's stories as I can get my hands on. Big ones that come to mind are David Eddings The belgaraid and The Malloreon back to back. All six or so books in the Wheel of time series that were available at the time. Oh god the entire series of Animorphs + Everworld. And you're right after a while an author's quirks start to shine in big bold letters, but it doesn't usually stop me (I can be very singleminded in my reading habits), the strangest for me was one author in Stargate SG1 who in every third or so story would have the characters make home made icecream :)

[ccmom.livejournal.com]

OMG! I loved David Eddings! I've read the belgaraid and the Malloreon multiple times! Which says something about me when you consider that it's several thousand pages.

Home made ice-cream? Seriously? How did I miss that one?

*returns to lurking sorry for intruding*

[azdaja-dafema.livejournal.com]

Oh definitely more so with fanfic: it's dreadful when you notice the quirks, because then you can't /stop/ noticing them and it brings you right out of stories.

As for H/D recs, I've been recently wanting to go back myself, to remind myself of (several actual years) of time spent reading it voraciously.

I still have links to my two favourite fics ever, but sadly one of them is offline for all intents and purposes. It was called Distortion of an Alchemist and it was marvellous.

This is still available, though: dragongirl16's Faith (http://dragongirl16.livejournal.com/95485.html), which is a dark fic where Harry comes back after.. oh, the fourth book? and everyone hates him and thinks he's evil - so much so that there's a petition to have him resorted into Slytherin. It has a great take on mob mentality and 'moral' outrage, with a decent fleshing out of secondary characters. Oh, and Sirius isn't dead, which is always a plus. I have vague recollections of the Cwn Annwyn turning up too, actually.

[ccmom.livejournal.com]

And she has a sequel to it. Walking a Narrow Path? If I remember correctly. Which is almost finished or is? She's updated 10 chapters this month that I haven't read yet.