HP recs: Snape/Draco
Posted on September 29, 2007
Filed Under HP recs masterlist, HP recs |
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Fics are sorted in alphabetical order by title (articles excluded).
Long fics (stories over 50K words, long series and such)
For the Sake of Being with You, by Kat and Tzigan #
NC-17. Summary: Everyone must sort somewhere… and Draco does, predictably. Two Malfoys, one Snape, and history has a bad habit of repeating itself. The Conclusion of the Lack of Morals arc. Warnings: underage.
For the Sake of Being with You is the third novel in the Lack Of Morals arc. The previous parts are Snape/Lucius. But part 3 can be easily read and understood on its own. I testify to it; I did so.
In essense, this fic retells canon from another POV, which is more often boring than not. Not to put the readers to sleep, a fic should be about something else. Like this one.
Now for the next point, but don’t you dare run away! Draco is a part-Veela in this story. Stop! Stay, listen, please!
A Veela!Draco story that retells canon events from Slytherin point of view. Yawn, right? WRONG! Totally and utterly wrong. Because as it happens with overused and faded cliches, there’s always several fics that use all those cliches that are so banal and flat without spoiling the story in the slightest. This is a touching, charming story about — well — love. And real affection. And trust. And many other wonderful things. Go read, you won’t regret!
Infinite Shadow of the Soul, by Femme ##
NC-17. Summary: “A chance to stop Voldemort takes Snape and Draco back in time.”
Long, written exquisitely. The plot is simply fantastic, the barest basics is: Snape and Draco have to travel back in time to the pre-revolution, Rasputin’s Russia. This is a pop version of Russian history of course, but a really well-done one. I had just a few tiny corrections, and believe me, it’s a rare case when I read a HP fic set in Russia that I’m not annoyed. Not all of the story is set there though; it has several masterfully interwowen plotlines. If you recognised the author (hard not to if you like and read the pairing), it may seem as a bit of auto-remix — similar in themes, details, and relationship between the main characters. But I consider this story one of her best. Really fascinating and thorough. Very enjoyable!
Of Discipline, Education, and Other Things A Malfoy Should Know. Part 1, by Dien Alcyone []
Also Hermione; Harry/Ron implied for this part; NC-17. WIP for the series, but story one is finished.
Twelve Days (R), by Isolde (cursive) #
R. Summary: Post-OotP. Lucius is in Azkaban, and Narcissa would rather not have her bratty son around. Upset and angry, he’s sent to live with Severus, who has a taste for pretty young boys. SS/DM. Just underage in my world (DM is 15-17).
The writing is poetic, and the story gives rise to indistinct reminiscences of classical literature when you read it. Snape’s observations of a brooding, spoilt Draco are wonderful, in the respect of both the spectator’s voice and the object of observations’ behaviour.
Medium-length fics (~15 to 50K words; stories you can read in one go but it will take some time)
Charade, by Femme []
NC-17, WIP. Summary: “Everything changes the morning after.”
What’s happening to Snape and Draco after they fled Hogwarts. An elegant and interesting beginning. Pity it was abandoned.
Liminal, by Isolde (cursive) []
NC-17. Summary: Draco surrenders himself to Dumbledore to avoid being Marked, but Snape is more sceptical. SS/DM, with some LM/DM and LV/DM. Written just after OotP.
A New World, by Titti (or here) #
NC-17. Summary: In a world ruled by Voldemort, Severus is captured and only Draco’s intervention saves him. But at what cost?
A Prelude to A Kiss, by Femme ##
NC-17. Summary: Banished to the wilds of Cornwall, Draco stumbles upon a former lover.
I love this story. No, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. It’s impossible not to love, that’s how wonderful it is :) It reads like a good novel from the beginning of the 19th century.
In the country ruled by the Dark Lord who had conquered his enemies, lived a spoiled son of his rich and highly influential Death Eater father. His mother died, his father fucked and married the young man’s former lover. The young man was rich and egotistical, he wasn’t used to denying himself anything, so he drank, went to balls and parties, changed lovers and dueled, in other words, lived to his heart’s delight. Until one day he got into another spot of trouble and his father threw him out of his London flat and cut down his allowance. He went to lie low in Cornwall where he had to spend his time amongst boring country squires, their wives, cousins, children and servants. He expects a long, tedious stay, but are the things what they seem?
Spot-on characterisation, wonderful style, perfectly thought-out universe and fantastic plot, with hidden identities, murder and many other surprises. This fic is a must-read, believe me.
Réveillon, by Femme ##
NC-17. Summary: Severus wakes. Warnings: mild torture.
As the summary says, Snape wakes. He sees a wierd floppy-eyed creature and freaks out. Then he learns that his name is Severus Snape. A blond boy tries to kiss him but he freaks out again and insists that he’s no child-molester. This is a love story with a very tense plot and fabulous characters. I’ll be rereading it in the future or sure. Great reading!
Short fics (less than 15K words)
Alive In Here, by Resonant #
NC-17. Summary: Among the Death Eaters.
This wonderful story expresses the idea behind the old fable about a mouse that fell into a milk jar*. Some short time in the future, closed in the life of the Death Eaters, with no contact from the outside world where people very well might have forgotten what side he really fights for, Severus Snape keeps moving. Draco is there, too. Composed, cold, not betraying any thoughts or emotions.
There are no bright colours in this fic, only shades, there are no declarations and explanations, only hints and nuances, each of them in a perfect place to have the greatest effect. There are breathtaking details and amazing passages. “Draco smells of wool and silver polish, and a hint of magic clings to him, crackles in his hair. It is clear he is indulging me — he is no more than half hard — but he does it so graciously that I can’t be offended.” This fic is subtle, and incredibly good.
*The fable was smth like this (I don’t remember exactly). A mouse fell into a milk jar. Not wishing to drown, it began trashing and moving its paws thus making sour cream and then butter from it. And then it was able to climb out of the jar.
As In a Dream, by Nope #
NC-17. Author’s summary: not given, so here’s mine: Draco comes to Snape to apply for apprenticeship and finds more than he expected.
Nope is a magician of short forms. Many try to express passion or the real time process of thinking, but a few succeed. Nope does. Were it another fic, I’d say that the formal device is on the surface and how much better it was if it were subtler. But in this fic it works perfectly. This entire fic is like a dance, like music. Thoughts and words tumble down, collide, run away, swirl and bounce. And take the reader with them. Mind you, they are not just pretty words for the words’ sake. They perfectly express things: characters, relationship, emotions and situation. Charming, beautiful fic!
At Last and Fairest Among Women, by Millefiori #
PG. Summary: Severus Snape meets a familiar stranger in a muggle bar.
At The End Of The Revival We Begin, by Femme #
NC-17. Warnings: Sex and angst and just a touch of minor death, my dears. Summary: Severus asks to be allowed to care for Draco after the Dark Lord’s punishment.
I thought it before the reveal and, well, now it’s confirmed, but this fic has Femme written all over it: her style, her Snape and Draco, her kind of plot. Draco here, IMO, is perfect. Whiny, petulant, charming, intelligent. The story is full of small things that make it come alive. And now I’m going to spoil it ‘cos the thing I loved about it best is a real spoiler. Highlight to read: Eileen Prince is alive. Yes, our surly Potions professor has a living mother with whom he bickers at the breakfast table, who is no good at domestic charms, who’s an utterly wonderful, perfectly fleshed out character on the whole. When she first appeared, I said, “Whoa!” But then thought, why not? We don’t know that she’s dead, right? So why not to write her as living?. Wonderful story!
Bare Edge of Survival, by Dragon Light #
NC-17.
Sad and beautiful. Draco has to live among Muggles, restricting his magic. He comes to Snape for some help: potions that he could sell for a living. The author managed to make a cliche (living as a Muggle) look unusual. Fine details, that’s what makes it. Read to learn more.
Body Merchants, by ou_topos #
R.
A fantastic and weird story! I should give warnings, but I’m reluctant to do so. Snape and Draco work as sort of Wizarding pathologists or undertakers. Stop! Don’t run away! This fic is really superb. The style is brilliant, the characterisation is spot-on, it’s really amusing, in a morbid way, and — paradoxically — warm. I loved it!
There were some problems with tenses that were left from changing present to past, but I was possible to turn a blind eye on them.
The Cat’s Meow, by Kat and Tzigan []
R. Summary: Not all potions accidents are bad.
Darker Still, by The Treacle Tart #
R. Warning: Reference to underage. Summary: “It was a routine that would remain unchanged for years until the night he found that there were other dangers lying in the shadows, and the night can grow darker still.”
Deep Red, by Ishuca (you’ll need password) []
NC-17. Warnings: initially mild chan; blood-play; skinning. Summary: In the six years Draco has watched Snape he has observed many things. What does he see in the man that so intrigues him?
I’ve recced this fic when speaking of disturbing fiction. Be warned: blood is poured like a river in it, cutting / bloodplay are the kinks it works with, and they are excessive.
Snape has a secret kink, Draco learns about it and later it develops into a full-size obsession. The first chapters of the story take place at Hogwarts, only the last one is about Draco’s service as a Death Eater. And if it’s not truly horrible, I don’t know what is. It’s horrible because of i he’s there and does what he does, because we have seen his first steps on this way, rather than horrible in the respect of what he does, although it’s not gathering wildflowers either. This fic is devastating and very persuasive. It shows you how an unfortunate coincidence (a person in a wrong place at a wrong time, a person who sees what he shouldn’t) can have such life-altering (not to say life-wrecking) consequences. This fic is disturbing because it shows you that some people need most radical things to express their needs and see to them, and that the borderline between acceptable and downright unhealthy things is very vague. This fic shows us love that is so twisted that there’s no other way out than to hell. It is profoundly sad.
You might be squicked, you might be disturbed. I know that I don’t want to read it again. But I also know that I don’t regret reading it; if I never read it, it would rob me of an important understanding. I think you should read it, even if only once. It’s a powerful piece of fiction, and it makes readers think, which is always good.
Draco Malfoy Saves the World, by Memorycharm #
PG. Summary: Snape loathed the new Defense teacher…
When you keep a listing of time-travel fics with more than a hundred of them, and when you’ve read more than a half of them, eventually you realise that they are basically the same. Oh well, several variants. Some of them are excellently made variants, most of them are boring like hell. But once in a while you come across a unique item. This story is an absolutely unusual take on a time-travel cliche. Short, brilliant, funny. Very well written. I love it.
Just Stand There and Look Contagious, by ou_topos #
R. Warning: underage.
Little Stone Heart, by Kat & Tzigan #
NC-17. Summary: Thievery proves to be a bane for Draco. Warning: underage.
Kat and Tzigane are a really bizarre pair of writers. They have written a lot of Snape/Draco (and of other pairings, too), and every time in their stories there’s a slight shift, unusual approach that makes every fic of theirs stick to the readers’ memory. But it’s not experimental fiction, it’s just unusual.
The plot is amusing and a bit silly — but just a bit, not like a crack!fic. Draco found a very ugly, dirty stone locked in Snape’s desk and stole it. Why? Just because he found it fascinating. It looks so very *Draco* for him to steal some silly thing just because he wants it and then grow obsessed with it. But his fixation on ‘his’ stone leads to absolutely unexpected consequences.
A charming, winsome fic! Go read and find out what Draco’s pilfering brought upon him.
A Map of the Human Heart, by TheMostePotente #
Past Snape/Regulus; NC-17. Warnings: Hurt/comfort, first time, dubious consent, violence/gore, darkish. Summary: Draco is given a second chance to prove himself to the Dark Lord.
This is an amusing, if creepy, and very clever story. I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh at the end and decided to applaud the author instead. The plot is original but credible, and the writing, too, is very good. Excellent!
Nothing Like the Sun, by Heather Phillips (snake_easing) #
R. Challenge: Time travel. Draco goes to school with Severus Snape.
Protection, by Switchknife []
NC-17. Summary: The price of protection. Snape/Draco non-con written as a Christmas gift for Isolde.
new A Real Steal, by AbstractConcept #
Snape/Draco, R, ~9300 words, DH-compliant. Summary: Draco is just drifting through life when a series of thefts and a new man give him a new lease on life. Now he just needs to keep the man’s interest…
Being posted in Snape/Draco Exchange, the fic sells out the pairing (that would otherwise be a surprise pairing) and the main plot twist (that would be unexpected, only foreshadowed) right from the beginning. Which, as for me, doesn’t turn to be bad because another thing begins to work: that the reader knows more than characters. You know who’s who and what the secrets are, so you start rooting for the characters and looking for the clues that they figured it out. This is a lovely story. Draco is divorcing his wife and is rather down on the whole when he meets an enigmatic man. He finds himself interested and alive first time in ages, so he chases the man — in a very Draco-ey way. Scorpius has a role to play, too. Pleasant story!
Shelter From The Storm, by Isis (or here) #
Hard R. Summary: “Draco thought Snape had died in the battle in which Voldemort won — until he encounters him, one stormy night.”
Isis is a terrific writer, truly versatile. She can write any genre, any pairing. She can create a really funny and witty humorous fic or a deeply moving angsty one. She has written some of the best Snape/Draco out there. And of all her stories (and all the different pairings she’s written) that I love dearly, this fic is amongst my most favourite.
We are used to the versions of the “Voldemort won” scenario full of horrors, violence and kink. But how often have you seen Voldemort’s bureaucracy? Young Draco Malfoy is on the field mission… no, not terrifying Muggles into obedience or eradicating Mudbloods. He’s one of the agents who collect the data of the Wizarding population census: who, where, occupation, family status, holds threat or not. The weather is bad, he’s cold and tired, moving from cottage to cottage in a godforsaken county. Then he comes upon a man he believed to be dead. That’s not all the plot; it’s just its beginning.
The flow of the story is perfect, the characters are plausible and attractive; the plot is clever. But the best thing, as for me, is that in a short story Isis tells us more about how the post-war universe works and about the characters than many a long fic. This is a true mark of writer’s skill. There are no superfluous things in the fic, everything works there: every scene, every detail. There’s nothing sentimental in it, but it leaves you with a wonderful, warm feeling. Very, very good reading!
The Shrivelfig Bandit & Other Stories, by ou_topos (or here) ##
NC-17.
Absolutely brilliant. Hilarious, with fantastic dry humour and just a touch of absurd. Snape and Draco are hiding in the house at Spinner’s End, but I can’t say anything else because all the charm is in how rather than what. There’s also some interesting magic. Clever, sexy, moving, charming. Fabulous reading!
The Sicilian Defence, by Isolde (cursive) []
R. Summary: Snape is asked to take on an assistant.
Snitch, Now and Then, by blue #
NC-17. summary: a man and a child. a professor and a student. Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape. the Past and the Present. and a Snitch, Now and Then. warning: nasty things are implied here. so I think a NC-17 rating is required. just as a precaution.
This is not a happy fic, nor is it light. It’s rather hopeless and depressive, but also very poetic or even meditative. The story has two planes, one is recent, Hogwarts years, the other is when Draco is 5. I really liked it.
Test of Loyalty, by Switchknife []
NC-17. Summary: “Red isn’t just a color for Gryffindors. The vial Draco holds in his hands, frail and glittering, is a Slytherin shade of red–darker, sweeter, more poisonous.’ Draco seeks vengeance. Voldemort is kind enough to grant it to him.” Author’s warnings: Ambiguous consent, almost-chanslash and implied character death. Draco-lovers be warned: He is not very nice here.
This fic was written on my request, and I was shocked to see Draco and Snape absolutely not how I see or like them. Truth be told, I like them most of all as Isis wrote them in Shelter From The Storm (see above). But I was amazed that Switchknife made me believe that they are as they are written here! They are real, they are so real that after reading the fic I was shaking my head trying to clear it of their images and failing. The author uses heavy blows to deliver the ideas, his/her words are striking, but, if you’ll allow me such a comparison, it’s not like good, heavy paddling you’ll get before good, hot sex and good, comforting cuddle at the end. Here you’ll have neither sex (metaphorically, of course; literally there’s enough sex) nor cuddle - especially no cuddle. “He wonders what made Snape so desperate–perhaps it was his ugliness, perhaps it was his sense of wonder at the thought that Draco could want him–or perhaps it is just the way Snape is, a parasitic lover, whenever he lets someone past his shields.” This fic is unkind, cruel, there’s no romance and nothing pleasant. It’s hurt without comfort, well-written, hope- and illusion-shuttering, with very precise, strong words woven into it.
As I said commenting on it, it’s awesome when a writer takes an obvious device and makes it work so that it dissolves it the text. I see the way the author did it with ‘it’s not difficult… but it’s difficult’ as a perfect example of it.
This Living Hand, by Millefiori #
PG. Summary: Snape is determined to keep Draco Malfoy from becoming a Death Eater. Harry is witness to the consequences. Written for the Severus Snape Fuh-Q Fest first wave scenario: Protective!Snape saves someone; someone special, actually.
Sequel: The Night’s Starred Face.
Watching and Waiting, by Jai Marie # (site is down)
PG.
new Twilight Rain, by Femme #
Snape/Draco, NC-17, short. Summary: It’s raining when Father leaves to collect Severus’s body.
Atmospheric, speaking both plainly and figuratively, and sad but not hopeless. No, it’s not a death fic. It’s written in the first person (Draco), and while I (and everybody else) is apprehensive of it, here it works wonders to let us hear Draco’s voice and understand his inner world. It’s an emotional journey: memory, love, hope, coping and learning. Beautiful!
new Weakness, by Emma Grant []
Snape/Draco, Draco/other, NC-17, short. Summary: Set during DH. Snape decides Draco needs private lessons in occlumency, and it turns out that Draco has much to hide. Warnings: mild violence of a non-sexual nature.
What I liked best about this fic is that it’s absolutely un-romantic. There’s no Draco who’s in love with his
Potions professorHeadmaster, no Snape who’s hopelessly lusting after his favourite pupil until they fall in bed together. There’s nothing of the sort. But no coercion or non-con either. You’ll see what I mean when you read the fic. What is there then? Characterisation and good writing. It reads like an extension of the book, only with characters whose private lives aren’t limited to adolescent kisses. Recommended.
Wherein Draco is in a Room, by Simmysim #
Hard R. Summary: Draco in a room. And Snape is there sometimes, too.
After their flight from Hogwarts Snape keeps Draco hidden in his unplottable house. Days pass, and they become closer. Draco never leaves, never sees anybody but Snape. Snape leaves for days. The fic is awwwwsome, with wonderful rhythm and style. Draco is so needy and whiny here, “Snape’s damsel in distress,” heh. Lovely!
Wrong, by Jas Masson []
NC-17. Warnings: BDSM, Draco is 17. Summary: “But, but *Santa* does it!” Draco wailed. “How can it be Wrong if *Santa* does it?”
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this is pj's fannish place made with the goal to be a sort of public library of (or a gateway to) fanfiction. I read mostly slash, I love sex and various kinks, so if you are underage and somehow wormed your way here past net nannies and warnings, please surf responsibly and go somewhere else when you are asked to!
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