aimeelicious | Jun. 10th, 2008

I have read literally hundreds of Harry Potter fandom fics over the last few months, as I am making my way slowly through the entire skyehawke.com archive (caveat is that stories have to be completed and at least 10k words, give or take, unless the premise is irresistible). This is my first attempt at sharing some of the better ones. There are standard pairings here, plus unusual ones because those stories are real gems. All links will open in a new window--please read the story warnings/author notes too in case I didn't mention something that might bother you.

The If Sieve by Crawfords Lover, Draco/Harry, seventh-year Hogwarts fic, 36,684 words. Draco spends some time in a "what if" sieve, trying to figure out which pivotal moment in his long, painful history with Harry Potter might have turned things around had it gone differently. It's a great series of AU possibilities, as well as a current narrative. The last chapter will put a smile on your face even though it's open-ended.
The Venice Job by Nishizono Shinkji, Auror!Harry/Auror!Draco, post-war, 25,923 words. This is a very silly story about an undercover job in which still!rivals Harry and Draco have to chase down some criminals in Venice, Italy while posing as a gay couple. The laughs and the sex make it a very worthwhile read.
Redeem Me by Samael, Harry/Draco, late Hogwarts, 242,988 words. I am of two minds about recommending this, because it's not the greatest fic ever written, and there is some OOC/woobie!Draco stuff. However, it's long and plotty with some interesting unique ideas, so I'm throwing it in here for those of you always in search of an epic read that is not full of really bad writing! If you like it, or conversely if you're not sure you want to read it, click on the author's name on that page, she has a bunch of other, shorter stories you can try first, all of a similar quality/style.
An amazingly complex and rewarding story where Draco and Severus do the only thing they can think of to stop the Dark Lord, and end up living their lives literally before their time. They also have some very hot sex. Infinite Shadow of the Soul by Femme, Draco/Severus, 56,638 words.
The Fields of St. Herve by Arsenic, Draco/Remus, post-War, 34,843 words. This is a beautiful, haunting story with an unusual but entirely believable pairing, great plot, and slow, bittersweet romance. I can't recommend it enough. I'm not sure what made me click on it, as I don't generally read anything involving Maurauders, but I'm so glad I did.
Same author, another usual pairing: Hermione/Severus (het!het!het!), 35,435 words. Collateral. Hermione is severely injured after being in the company of Bellatrix Lestrange. She and Snape work together towards a cure, and Arsenic does a fantastic job of weaving them into a couple. There are solid appearances by Harry, Draco, and the rest of the cast too. Warning (besides the het) this story is a little dark, but does not have an unpleasant ending.
Since I recommended one story where Severus helps Hermione, I thought I might suggest one where she helps him. Numb by firefly124 is about the aftermath of Snape getting bit by Nagini; his healing process and how Hermione saves the day and shows him the beauty of ~~sex~~ love. It's a fairly serious fic, but has some lighter moments and the characters are really well-drawn. 19,099 words.
A Sad State of Affairs by r_grajoy. Ron/Draco, post-war, 10,451 words. Voldemort has been dead two months, and Ron suddenly finds himself stuck with Malfoy as a roommate, courtsey of Kingsley. Something about a 'safe place', but after a week of avoiding each other, Ron is bored out of his mind. His way of drawing Draco out, and their subsequent dance towards civility and beyond, makes for a terrific read.
Black, In the Smothering Dark, by faireweather (103,856 words), which is followed by a WIP called The Hush of War, last updated in March '08. However, you can read the story I linked to without needing to continue on to the second fic. Black, In the Smothering Dark is a Harry/Draco pre-slash fic, so no sex really. However, there is a fascinating premise in this where Harry communicates regularly with Voldemort and they develop something of a relationship themselves, trying to find common ground. Tom Riddle is still 'evil', and Harry is still 'good', but this story takes them someplace I haven't seen before and it's pretty interesting. Also, Sirius never died, so there's an interesting twist regarding him too. Don't worry about the first few paragraphs of mistreatment at the hands of the Dursleys if that's not your thing, the story moves on from there pretty quickly.