Temnurus Rec List - Tumblr Posts
Drarry Rec List
So I’ve been threatening more fandom posts, and I’ve promised some people on my Drarry Discord servers a top ten recs list for awhile. I figured I’d go all out and do something with a bit of detail rather than just rattling off a list of titles and authors. Fair warning, nearly everything I read is mature or explicit. (I’m an adult, and I’ll read what I like, damn it.) Haha. This is going to be specifically my top ten fics over 100k words. I’ll do another top ten of fics under 100k another time. Also, keep in mind this is out of what I’ve read in the past year or so only and as a result is always subject to change as I get my grubby little hands on more fics. Without further ado:
1. Title: Turn Author: Saras_Girl Rating: Explicit Words: 306,708 Warnings: none Summary: One good turn always deserves another. Apparently.
Thoughts: This fic is god tier, honestly. Have you ever wondered how your life might’ve gone if you’d done just one thing differently? What if Harry had tried to help Draco when he found him crying in the girl’s loo in their sixth year? Turn explores this concept, and it does it with breathtaking style.
2. Title: Say My Name Author: Thunderbird587 Rating: Explicit Words: 199,135 Warnings: none Summary: Harry witnesses something unexpected in the 8th year boys' showers and starts to see Draco Malfoy in a whole new light. The question is now, what is he going to do about it?A coming of age Drarry tale about letting go of the past and building the future.
Thoughts: Ngl, folks, this was my favorite until a couple months ago when I found and read Turn for the first time. I have read it and Thunderbird’s other fic in this list several times, and I always enjoy both. If you’re looking for a good 8th Year fic, it doesn’t get any better than this right here.
3. Title: All I Want For Christmas (Is For You To Stop Talking) Authors: femmequixotic & noeon Rating: Explicit Words: 162,907 Warnings: none Summary: The Niffler's Garden is the most prestigious wizarding nursery school in England and has been for the last century or more. Harry Potter's boys are both enrolled as pupils at the Garden. When he volunteers to assist with the Yule pageant, he has no idea that he'll be working closely with another parent, Draco Malfoy. Although they haven't seen each other much since their own school days, Harry faults Malfoy for not being a hands-on dad to little Scorpius. Will the intense weeks of preparation fan the fires of enmity or something else entirely?
Thoughts: I’m not huge on kidfics most of the time, but this is the absolute best semi-epilogue compliant fic I’ve ever read aside from Turn. The style is completely different from that, however. The tone of this is light-hearted and fun, and I laughed a lot when I read it. All the characters have a depth to them that you don’t always get in fanfic. Overall this is just a really superb work. I’d recommend anything by these authors that I’ve read so far, really.
4. Title: Grounds for Divorce Author: Tepre Rating: Explicit Words: 122,217 Warnings: none Summary: Malfoy finds a coin. Harry finds a letter. A story about histories, a story about families. A story about a lemon tree somewhere in Upper Egypt.
Thoughts: This starts off just a tad rocky for me as far as pacing goes, but please stick with it through the first couple chapters. And once they get to Luxor you’re in for quite a treat. The language in this is just lovely, and the emotions it evoked in me were heady.
5. Title: The Man Who Lived Author: sebastianL Rating: Explicit Words: 253,826 Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Suicide, Homophobia, Racism, Self-harm, Mental Illness Summary: Draco breaks a cup, and one thing leads to another. A story of redemption, tattoos, dreams, mistakes, green eyes, long conversations, and copious amounts of coffee.Set in New York twelve years after the war.
Thoughts: I feel that it is worth mentioning that the suicide is neither of the main characters, though it is someone close to one of them. I believe trigger warnings are more important than possible spoilers, so unlike the author I am telling you it happens in Chapter 22. There isn’t a graphic description of it there or later in the fic, but it is mentioned and impacts the story in a large way. That said, they aren’t kidding when they say the focus is character development, and it is this fic’s greatest strength alongside the way it tackles difficult subject matter. I’ve seldom been more engrossed in a story, and all of the original characters are well-developed. I grew to love them just as much as the ones we know and love from the source material.
6. Title: A Secondary Education Author: Thunderbird587 Rating: Explicit Words: 234,528 Warnings: none Summary: Fleeing the aftermath of his recent divorce, Draco Malfoy takes up a post as the new Potions Master at Hogwarts. At first he believes his hopes for a fresh start are dashed when he sees that a certain boyhood rival is on staff there as well. But Harry Potter is being weirdly nice to him, leaving Draco no choice but to play along. As Draco reckons with his ex-wife's infidelity and questions about his own sexuality, he finds himself going to an openly gay Potter for guidance. As their friendship deepens, Draco realizes that there is quite a lot that Potter can teach him. And that he is surprisingly ready to learn.
Thoughts: As I said, Thunderbird is one of my favorite fic authors ever, so this was an absolute treat. I am not crazy about ex-bashing, but this fic keeps it classy for the most part despite Draco’s ex’s heinous actions in this AU. Harry is basically Draco’s big gay awakening and becomes his teacher of a sort, his introduction to gay sex as it were (an undertaking agreed to by both of them before they begin, I might add). It becomes so much more than that, and I can’t recommend it enough.
7. Title: Soup-pocalypse and The Great Curry Cataclysm Author: SquadOfCats Rating: Explicit Words: 104,357 Warnings: Mental Illness, Mention of Past Suicide Attempt Summary: Eleven years after the war, Draco Malfoy leads a quiet, boring, and perfectly respectable life, thanks very much. Or, at least he does, until a sudden and very unexpected veela awakening causes him to throw soup all over Harry Potter in the middle of the Ministry cafeteria.
Thoughts: This fic is a lot of fun. It’s a veela!Draco fic, and creature fics aren’t high on my list of favorite tropes. So that should tell you how much I enjoyed this that it made my top ten. I laughed a lot throughout this, but it does touch on sensitive topics as well. The past suicide attempt is mentioned in Chapter 13, but it is not graphic in nature.
8. Title: Taking Chances Author: gracerene Rating: Explicit Words: 135,125 Warnings: Implied/Referenced Rape Summary: After the war, Draco disappeared and started over in America, vowing never to return to Great Britain and the fraught past he left behind. Unfortunately, when his mates convince him to sign up for an exchange programme for the last year of their Auror Training, Draco learns that he doesn't have much of a choice in the matter.
Thoughts: The implied non-con is pre-warned by the author in Chapter 12, which I appreciated because I probably wouldn’t have even finished the fic if I’d come across something like that with no heads up. It wasn’t detailed at all, just brief mention that it happened to an OC in a conversation with someone else, and it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the fic. The premise for this was unique and the original characters are all extremely well written. I’ve read several things by this author since, and they’re all fantastic.
9. Title: All Our Secrets Laid Bare Author: firethesound Rating: Explicit Words: 149,549 Warnings: none Summary: Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.
Thoughts: Lots of people I’ve talked to about favorites mention this, Turn, and Grounds for Divorce quite often, and I can see why. It’s one of the best Auror Partners fics I’ve read. The one duty Draco gets called upon to perform that he actually enjoys is going through old Death Eater safe houses and taking down all the curses and traps, and that process was really cool to read about. The smut was also incredibly hot in this fic, so it has that going for it, too.
10. Title: From Ashes Author: Caedes12 Rating: Explicit Words: 150,906 Warnings: Suicide (of a secondary character), Graphic Depiction of said suicide/witness to suicide, Implied/Referenced Self-harm, Mentions of Past Suicide Attempts, References to Past Child Abuse, Mentions of Child Abuse in a Case, Homophobia, Biphobia Summary: When Draco comes back for eighth year, he starts an unexpected friendship with Hermione Granger. Between his new friendship and his parents kicking him out of the house, Draco's life starts down a new path.
Thoughts: Okay, this fic has a lot of warnings, but the author posts trigger warnings at the beginning of problematic chapters. I won’t list them all here since they do such a good job of doing so themselves. The summary might lead you to believe that this is an 8th year fic, but it isn’t. It starts there but quickly moves on to later in Draco and Harry’s lives. This fic has a lovely Dramione friendship, which I really dig. It deals with a lot of sensitive subject matter, as you can see, but it’s still one of my favorites and does have a happy ending in spite of everything in the tags.
Drarry Short Fic Rec List
I promised that I’d do a top ten under 100k, so this is me finally delivering on that. They’re nearly all explicit, so keep that in mind if smut isn’t your thing. Again, this is sure to shift as I read new things, but here’s how things stand as of now.
1. Title: Lumos Author: birdsofshore Rating: Explicit Words: 41,476 Warnings: none Summary: Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.
Thoughts: This is so much more than the summary implies, I swear. It’s my favorite 8th year short fic by far. The way Harry and Draco fumble their way to realizing what they mean to each other is breathtaking in this. Go read it. Right now, go. You can finish this list later. Just do it.
2. Title: Then Comes a Mist and a Weeping Rain Author: Faith Wood Rating: Explicit Words: 21,139 Warnings: none Summary: It always rains for Draco Malfoy. Metaphorically. And literally. Ever since he had accidentally Conjured a cloud. A cloud that's ever so cross.
Thoughts: The characterizations here were spot on, especially Draco. I thought this fic was both extremely funny and also very heart-warming. The smut was nice, but the emotional impact was what put this over the top for me.
3. Title: Embers Author: shiftylinguini Rating: Explicit Words: 41,216 Warnings: none Summary: Werewolf Alphas aren't meant to be alone, or to suppress their ruts indefinitely like Draco has been since he was bitten eight years ago. He needs company, companionship, to knot ― he needs an Omega Heat Companion. At least, that’s what the Healers say, and even Draco can admit contacting the person they’ve referred him to might be nice.Of course it turns out to be bloody Potter.
Thoughts: Okay before you say that Omegaverse fics aren’t your thing, hear me out! This fic doesn’t go crazy with the usual pitfalls of this trope. They don’t go out of their minds with lust and just screw each others brains out mindlessly for a week, and that’s that. This is a wonderfully written story that deals with trouble with intimacy, anxiety, and all a manner of other delightful feelings that just so happens to take place in an A/B/O setting. If you give it a chance it might just surprise you. I adore the author, and there’s a reason this isn’t this high on my list for nothing.
4. Title: Howlr Author: partialtopotter Rating: Explicit Words: 47,634 Warnings: none Summary: Howlr is the new dating application enchanting Witches, Wizards and Everyone in between. Are you looking for the one or a one-night stand; it’s all here folks. Howlr is sponsored by Weasley Wizard Wheezes, the same team that brought us the Spellular just two years ago. Ginny Weasley, famed chaser for the Hollyhead Harpies, swears by the app, ‘guaranteed to make sparks fly,’ she says. The magic awaits you!
Thoughts: I enjoyed the hell out of this. It was so much fun. It would take me ages to point out every instance in which I laughed til my face hurt. Ginny’s characterization in particular was hilarious. I loved how adorable Harry was with Teddy. The translations of tech to magical use were clever and well thought out, and the smut was so incredibly hot.
5. Title: All Bets Are Off Author: dualwieldteacup Rating: Mature Words: 31,452 Warnings: none Summary: Harry Potter's latest security assignment brings him to Las Vegas for the International Wizarding Casino World Series. At a magic underwater hotel, he is tasked with guarding the legendary and mysterious gambler known as Snake Eyes.The stakes are high when both Galleons and emotions are involved. Not to mention peacock pool floats, secret pizza, and most importantly of all, second chances.
Thoughts: The image of Draco as a high roller in Vegas had me intrigued, and I love any version of him with tattoos. I thought he was so well-written here. His and Harry's banter was engaging and spot on. The flirting was divine, and the moments of emotional tension felt very genuine. This was a real treat.
6. Title: The Full Monty Author: magpie_fngrl Rating: Explicit Words: 9,860 Warnings: none Summary: Harry poses for a naked Auror calendar and Draco goes batshit crazy with lust.
Thoughts: The premise of this was so fun I just had to read it. Draco and Harry’s banter in this is top notch, and Draco’s over the top reactions to everything about the calendar had me rolling with laughter. There are also several instances that had me thinking Draco was just adorable, and the smut was very, very hot.
7. Title: Match Fit Author: ravenclawsquill Rating: Explicit Words: 25,233 Warnings: none Summary: After picking up a groin injury just two weeks before the Quidditch World Cup Final, star Seeker Harry Potter reluctantly agrees to seek help from world-renowned Magi-Physiotherapist, Draco Malfoy.Cue sexual tension, naked sports massages, inappropriate erections and a healthy dose of acid-green lycra.
Thoughts: I've never been big on sports, but there's something undoubtedly sexy about Harry on a broom. It's mostly the competence, of course, but I've also always loved the sheer joy he takes in flying. This is the second fic I've read that had Draco specializing in a very specific branch of healing magic, and I think it suits him remarkably well. The sexual tension in this was quite nice, also.
8. Title: Play Dates Author: bixgirl1 Rating: Explicit Words: 7,722 Warnings: none Summary: Harry never thought seeing Malfoy as a dad would affect him this way.
Thoughts: This was so hot and sweet at the same time. I love praise kink, and seeing Draco get so worked up over it whenever Harry said anything nice about him way before they ever made it to the bedroom had me laughing like a maniac. And Scorpius and Al were so frigging cute together. I loved them being so close. It was adorable.
9. Title: Rorschach Author: gracerene Rating: Explicit Words: 5,422 Warnings: none Summary: Harry never gave much thought to Malfoy's soulmark. But that was before he caught a glimpse. Now it's all he can think about.
Thoughts: I love soulmate fics, and this had the added bonus of being incredibly fucking hot, too! I like how it needed very little set-up before diving right into Harry being obsessed with Draco's soulmark. The idea of everyone but your soulmate seeing swirling ink was really neat, too. gracerene is one of my favorite authors, so it’s no huge surprise that she ended up on this list, too.
10. Title: Catch 22 Author: jad Rating: Explicit Words: 49,895 Warnings: none Summary: As if NEWTS weren't enough, Dumbledore's gone and had another one of his 'bright ideas.' If all ends well, the Houses will be getting along in no time. Or according to Harry's correspondent, an Apocalypse will be in order. [OotP/HBP/DH disregarded]
Thoughts: This was fantastic! I loved the idea of the anonymous letters to foster inter-house unity, and of course Draco and Harry got each other as correspondents. The intellectual porn was incredibly hot, and I loved how they slowly fell for each other as they kept writing. I loved how the author wrote Blaise’s character in particular. This was a fun and satisfying read.
Honorable Mention:
Title: Little Talks Authors: Femme & Noe Rating: Explicit Words: 11,351 Warnings: none Summary: Draco's been shagging the Head Auror for months now, and he's sure it's just a fling. Until Harry asks him to a Quidditch match, that is, and things go horribly wrong.
Thoughts: Absolutely fabulous! The smut was on fire, the banter between them was delicious, and the ridiculous denial of feelings was oh so typically Draco. I cackled gleefully at the depictions of Scorpius being a little terror, and Harry charming him into submission almost instantly was utterly adorable. As if Femme and Noe weren’t going to make a Drarry list of mine. Please.
Snarry Long Fic Rec List
I’m a shameless mult-shipper when it comes to my fandoms, but Snarry was my very first Harry Potter ship. I am not ashamed of this, and they are still my OTP. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. This post is not for you. I’ve finally gotten around to making lists for a couple of top ten posts for Snarry, just like I did for Drarry. This list contains my favorite ten fics over 50k words. I will do another post for my short fic recs later, so please look forward to it.
1. Title: The Gift of Kindness Author: hippocrates460 Rating: Explicit Words: 105,872 Warnings: none Summary: When Harry arrives at Hogwarts, everything is overwhelming. Luckily he makes some friends, Hagrid who took him to Diagon Alley, Ron who he met on the train, and Severus, who explains why they have to pretend to hate each other.This story spans 7 years, during which Severus and Harry get to know each other and find understanding.
Thoughts: This fic is a unique and beautiful take on the soulmates trope (which admittedly is one of my favorites), and it features a softer version of Severus than most people probably go for that I just adore. The moments between Harry and Severus where they’re being sweet to each other, particularly when Severus is feeling vulnerable or shy and Harry reassures him make me grin like an idiot every single time. There are also elaborate courting rituals in the fic that Severus pays such special care to that reading about them created a whole new favorite tag for me. I’ve read this story multiple times. I even got a tattoo with themes from the fic, not the least of which is kindness. That’s how devoted I am to this fantastic story. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
2. Title: Breathe, One, Two Author: SolitaryEngel Rating: Explicit Words: 97,316 Warnings: none (does include descriptions of a character with symptoms of PTSD, but nothing I personally would consider triggering, fwiw) Summary: Shortly after graduating his "eighth" year at Hogwarts, the grand future Harry had hoped for starts crumbling beneath his feet. He can't cope with the aftermath of the war, though with the help of his mind Healer and his new, intense friendship with the mysterious wizard Sebastian, he might have a chance.Only, Sebastian is gay, a quality Harry didn't know was reviled by so many of his close friends. Even so, there's something about the older man that he just can't ignore...
Thoughts: This is a lovely portrait of someone's struggle with and journey toward healing from C-PTSD. The fact that it also happens to coincide with my OTP is an added bonus. The bond that forms between Harry and Severus in this is complex and involves many twists and turns on their way to a (hopefully) happy ending. You’ll find out if you read it for yourself!
3. Title: Chrysalis Author: starcrossedgirl Rating: Explicit Words: 84,631 Warnings: Depictions of mental illness including: nightmares/flashbacks, panic attacks, depression, and brief mention of suicidal ideation. Also, non-graphic references to (past) childhood sexual abuse and depictions of its long-term psychological effects Summary: In which Harry is a tad messed up after the war, but Snape gives him a run for his money. Or: an epic tale of PTSD, recovery and gay porn!
Thoughts: First and foremost I appreciate how the author addresses the serious topics of PTSD and being a survivor of sexual assault with such care in the context of fiction. Harry's experiences with anxiety and panic attacks feel very similar to my own, and Severus' conflict within himself after his own trauma is something I'm also familiar with. The shame, the taking on the burden of guilt as if what happened to him were his fault..that strikes a chord, let me tell you. I've only read a handful of fics that handle these topics so well, and this one absolutely stands out as one of the best. As to the story itself, I think that the author handles Severus' character brilliantly. I couldn't be more impressed. Harry's I have feelings about, but I won't go into that in depth. He fits into the context of what happens, into what this story needs, and in the end I am amazed by how he and Severus slowly come together, how well they suit each other, help one another, and find healing in each other.
4. Title: Sending a Raven (ongoing series) Author: Apassingstory Rating: Mature Words: 217,028 (as of last update) Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, references to depression and anxiety and past childhood abuse. Summary: Voldemort begins to suspect Snape in sixth year and sets a trap to capture him and the Boy Who Lived. His plans don't work as well as he hoped and instead force Harry and Severus to learn to live with one another. Snape is outed as a spy, changing the course of events in a few important ways. *Please note everyone is aged up a year.*
Thoughts: I devoured the first installment of this in the span of three days and still don’t think I have the words to properly express how good it is. I love the way the author writes Severus and Harry. The characterizations are top notch. One of the tropes it covers is forced proximity, and it is a level above most quality-wise. When the author tagged slow burn they weren’t kidding, but I loved every second of watching these two schmucks fall for each other. The changes the author makes to canon are interesting and work really well within the framework of the story they’re telling. I find it really excruciating to take chances on WiPs, but this one is absolutely worth it.
5. Title: However I Fall (WiP) Author: mia_ugly Rating: Explicit Words: 104,302 (as of last update) Warnings: Major Character Death (sort of) Summary: In one timeline, Severus lives. In the other, he dies.In both, he falls in love.
Thoughts: I am absolutely smitten with this fic. It's so well-written. Firstly, the idea is so original. The switching perspectives from portrait Snape's universe to the one in which he survives are riveting and fascinating. I love how the author characterizes both Harrys and both Snapes. There’s an OC in it named Evelyn, and he’s absolutely precious. I’m also enthralled with the mystery of the vandalized books in this. The portrait universe makes me ache for what could have been, and I'm on tenterhooks with Harry in the version where Snape is alive and so very much his tetchy, infuriating self. I have faith in Mia, and I will continue to wait for the next update as long as it takes. It really is that good.
6. Title: The Never-ending Road (ongoing series) Author: laventadorn Rating: Mature Words: 636,110 (as of last update) Warnings: underage (eventually, maybe? author tagged the second installment as such, which is still a WiP, and there’s been no smut as of yet). Also! The author is excellent about giving content warnings in the author’s notes for things they think might be triggering for anyone in any way, shape, or form. Summary: NER - AU. When Lily died, Snape removed his heart and replaced it with a steel trap. But rescuing her daughter from the Dursleys in the summer of ’92 is the first step on a long road to discovering this is less true than he’d thought. A girl!Harry story, starting in Chamber of Secrets and continuing through Goblet of Fire. Future Snape/Harriet. NJE - AU, girl!Harry story. As Voldemort’s power grows, Harriet has to navigate a path to adulthood in the shadow of war. Snape begins to understand that not only does he have a heart, but it may be under the greatest siege of his life. A continuation of ‘The Never-ending Road,’ beginning with Order of the Phoenix.
Thoughts: Okay, first off I’m not normally a fan of gender-swapping only one of the characters in a pairing. This and one of the fics that will be featured on my short rec list are the exceptions to that rule. I do think Harriet isn't really Harry so much in this story, as she reacts to things in ways I don't feel the original character would. To be fair, laventadorn made the story their own in ways that justifies some of the changes, and their focus being on how Harry's ability to love rather than other aspects of his personality makes it understandable. So I've sunk into the character as Harriet instead of Harry, and that seems to have worked for me so far. That said, I've enjoyed the heck out of this absolute monster of a fic. The way the author has taken up the humongous task of retelling the school years from CoS onward is incredibly impressive, and I've been particularly impressed with how they’ve handled the characters beyond just Harriet and Severus. Harriet and Hermione's relationship is absolutely wonderful, and I've also enjoyed seeing Harriet connect with others, including Asteria Greengrass. While updates seem to be rather sporadic I’ll simply hang on and hope for the best because this is a stunning series.
7. Title: No Milk Today (WiP) Author: Lyowyn Rating: Explicit Words: 117,150 (as of last update) Warnings: none Summary: A 9 year old Severus Snape meets an old man who might just be able to change his destiny and set him on the path to redemption. Harry Potter has an interesting conversation with a dead man's portrait. Story spanning Severus' Hogwarts years with frequent jumps to post-war Hogwarts.
Thoughts: I’m usually pretty meh about time travel fics, but I absolutely love this so far. It’s well written, the premise is interesting, and Harry and Severus’ interactions in both timelines are lively and entertaining. I do admit the last update being as far back as June of last year when I have no prior experience with this author makes me nervous, but I’m not sorry I read it. I anxiously await the completion!
8. Title: Be My Voice Author: Kazhiru Rating: Explicit Words: 59,621 Warnings: none Summary: Severus Snape is left to rot in Azkaban, but that doesn't sit well with Harry at all. It begins with weekly visits, which evolve into tentative camaraderie. Harry may have taken on a task too big for him, but he will be damned if he doesn't see Severus back on his own two feet.
Thoughts: This is so domestic and cozy and wonderful, and I love it so much. It gets better and better each chapter. When Severus finally got out of Azkaban and got settled in at Grimmauld I was so ready for the sparks to fly, and fly they do. The development of his and Harry's relationship from antagonists to friends is lovely to watch. Harry also develops an interesting hobby which leads to an unusual job for him, and I always love fics where he’s anything other than an Auror.
9. Title: Nocturne Author: tiranog Rating: Explicit Words: 93,699 Warnings: none Summary: Auror Harry Potter makes a life altering discovery during an interview with a prisoner.
Thoughts: Despite the way this was posted it is indeed complete, I promise. I'm not a huge connoisseur of creature fics, but this is definitely one of my favorites. The care and attention to detail are impressive when it comes to covering what Severus' experience as a vampire is like, and the feelings portrayed by both him and Harry throughout are poignant and very believable. It’s incredibly well-written, and the vibrancy of the emotions in this fic gripped me and left me breathless at times. I highly recommend this. It has to be one of the best vampire fics I’ve ever read.
10. Title: When the Rose and the Fire Are One Author: perverse_idyll Rating: Explicit Words: 81,649 Warnings: secondary character death, dubious consent Summary: Harry's haunted by guilt. Snape's warded by roses. Each must free the other in order to free himself.
Thoughts: This is a phenomenal fic, and I felt completely wrung out after reading it. Severus is here in all his rough and bitter glory, dark and gritty and mean. Harry being twisted by a curse that makes him carry Voldemort's sins is an interesting premise, and Severus is locked away in Spinner’s End, his punishment for his crimes during the wars (this is an AU that diverges from canon after HBP). The intricacy of the ward magic in this story is fascinating, and one of the author’s OCs by the name of Odile is absolutely gorgeous. I love everything about her. The writing itself is so rich and smooth that I lost track of time and just vanished into the warp and weft of the story the author was weaving. It’s a heavy sort of fic that really stays with you for awhile, but it is so, so worth the read.
Honorable Mentions:
Title: The Most Powerful Magic Author: cjr2 Rating: Explicit Words: 84,028 Warnings: none Summary: Severus Snape wakes up after the war to find that over twenty years have passed and Nagini's venom has wreaked havoc on his body. While he searches for a way to heal the damage, Severus has to find a way to come to terms with the new world into which he's awoken as well as the ancient magic that helped to bring him back.
Thoughts: I’ve not read another Snarry fic that is even somewhat canon compliant when it comes to Harry’s children, and I have to say I enjoyed the dynamic they offered here a lot. Al and his relationship with Severus is really touching, and the dynamic between the Potters, Malfoys, and Weasleys is interesting. Harry’s self-sacrificing when it comes to Ginny and Draco’s affair cover-up is very on-point for his character in my opinion. Al’s numerous attempts at nudging Harry and Severus’ developing relationship along are hilarious. I’m due a reread of this, I think. It’s got its moments of depth, but it really is a fun, light-hearted read overall, which I appreciate from time to time.
Title: A Light in the Silence, a Voice in the Dark Author: Cayce_Morris Rating: Explicit Words: 76,153 Warnings: dubious consent (brief and non-graphic/non-violent), possible odd fetish? (I personally wouldn’t call what goes on here a fetish, but just in case.) Summary: Severus lives, just barely. Now what’s going on between him and Harry is too shocking for words. Everyone around Harry fears he’s lost his mind, but could there be more to this situation than meets the eye?
Thoughts: Okay, Severus is in a coma-like state for most of this fic, which is where the weird fetish warning probably comes from. He is aware of what goes on around him, but he cannot move or communicate that fact to others at first. Harry can eventually hear his thoughts, and they communicate through this odd link that forms between them. The concept is intriguing, and I enjoyed it a lot. I love how determined Harry is to be there for Severus, coming to the hospital every day and making sure that Severus isn’t alone. I have to laugh at Harry’s insistence to others that he can hear Severus in his head while Severus is telling him he’s only making people think that Harry is crazy, and of course this causes problems for them later. It does have a happy ending, so never fear.
Snarry Short Fic Rec List
I am finally buckling down and making my top ten rec list for Snarry fics under 50k. Keep in mind that I tried to pick a range of fics for this and tried very hard to not double up on authors too much. This is not a strict up and down fics I loved most from 1-10 for that reason, but I very much enjoyed all of these. There will also be a number of honorable mentions that I read after I was finished compiling this list that would’ve been numbered quite high in a more traditional top ten. In any event, I am often struck dumb by the amazing talent that can be found in the Snarry community whether the creators are on this list or not.
1. Title: Close Encounters Author(s): bleedcolor, Likelightinglass Rating: Explicit Words: 35,494 Warnings: none Summary: Years after the war, Harry Potter and Severus Snape meet and fall in lust, then love.Too bad they don’t know who they’ve fallen for.
Thoughts: It is criminal that this fic doesn’t have thousands of kudos. CRIMINAL, I SAY! First, Tim Curry running a matchmaking service in Diagon Alley is just hilarious. Come on. Then you get to the absolutely phenomenal characterizations of Harry and Severus. Poor Harry slowly falling in love in the dark, and Severus is still his sardonic self while also displaying a breathtaking vulnerability at times. You need to read this. I already have multiple times. 😉
2. Title: Rapture Author: mia_ugly Rating: Explicit Words: 48,123 Warnings: none Summary: Snape sees the man, for the first time, on his twenty-fifth birthday.
Thoughts: The vague summary notwithstanding, this fic is absolutely brilliant. I’m not always the biggest fan of time travel fics, but I devoured this in a single afternoon if that tells you anything. The writing is some of the best I’ve seen anywhere, and the characterizations were perfect. I loved Harry’s mounting desperation and Severus’ prickly and patented disbelief that someone so wonderful was really for him. The mutual pining was delightful, and both of their painful stumbling on their way to each other was so satisfying.
3. Title: Succor Author: pluperfectsunrise Rating: Explicit Words: 40,665 Warnings: brief scene of sexual harassment (occurs in Chapter 3, verbal only) Summary: Five times Severus Snape comforted Harry Potter, and one time Harry comforted him.
Thoughts: First, it bears saying that this story features girl!Harry. I seldom read gender-swap fics, particularly when only one of the pair gets that treatment. But! Pluperfectsunrise is an exception to this rule because she made me appreciate the issues a female Harry would have to contend with that a male Harry would not while growing up. I related to the character in a whole new way as a result. Also, it’s a soulmate fic, and I’m absolutely mad for them. This is one of my favorite soulmate fics and still is my favorite girl!Harry fic despite having read more of them since.
4. Title: Surfacing Author: avioleta Rating: Explicit Words: 24,831 Warnings: depictions of PTSD and panic attacks Summary: Harry’s back at Hogwarts. Severus is back in the Potions Lab and everyone is just trying to find some semblance of normal after the war.
Thoughts: Harry’s experience with PTSD felt very real to me, and I related to the anxiety portion of that very strongly due to my own experiences. The writing is elegant, much like I imagine Severus Snape to be. McGonagall was a boss in this, and I loved it. The sexual tension between Harry and Severus was electric, and the combination of all that made for a spellbinding read.
5. Title: H.J. Potter’s Restoration Services Author: bleedcolor Rating: Explicit Words: 17,966 Warnings: none Summary: Harry Potter doesn’t understand why everyone in the Wizarding World insists on treating Snape as if he’s dead, but he has every intention of proving them wrong.
Thoughts: I did not know who wrote this when I read it, as it was part of a fest still in progress when I got my greedy little hands on it. I was absolutely gobsmacked. Harry takes to fixing up Spinner’s End, and Severus is stuck in a hilariously frustrating in-between sort of situation and has to watch him do so with no way to communicate his displeasure at Harry’s nerve. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s absolutely beautiful in every single way.
6. Title: Waiting to Divide Author: emynn Rating: Explicit Words: 22,674 Warnings: none Summary: Harry always thought soul mates were the domain of overly-soppy romantics. What he didn't realise was that they were very real, very dangerous, and very inconvenient...especially when your soul mate is the very dead Severus Snape. Fortunately, with the help of his friends and a Time Portal, he's able to get past that pesky obstacle...and finds his life completely changed.
Thoughts: Oh look, another exception to my meh attitude towards time travel fics, and it’s a soulmate AU! Imagine that. 😁 Anyway, this was wonderful. Lots of tension and emotional anguish over whether or not everything would be okay in the end, and I really enjoyed how the author portrayed Harry in this fic especially.
7. Title: The Beating of This Fragile Heart Author: Writcraft Rating: Explicit Words: 33,139 Warnings: none Summary: After the war, the last thing Severus Snape needs is the memory of a fleeting wartime kiss and a very persistent Harry Potter thwarting his plans to live a peaceful and solitary life. It’s only when Harry’s life is endangered that Severus is finally forced to confront his feelings head on.
Thoughts: I came for the praise kink and stayed for the fantastic characterizations and amazing story-telling. Harry is single-minded and intently focused on getting what he wants in this fic, and what he wants is one Severus Snape. Severus, of course, is incredibly stubborn and has to make the whole thing as difficult as humanly possible. Amazing highs and lows in this. It’s just gorgeously written.
8. Title: Time and Time Again Author: Mottlemoth Rating: Explicit Words: 41,208 Warnings: none Summary: Eleven days have passed since the fall of The Dark Lord—and Harry still can't look away.
Thoughts: I’m realizing there are a disproportionate amount of time travel fics on this list for someone who keeps saying they’re not really a fan of that trope. Oops. Harry’s obsession wiht Severus’ death and subsequent need to make it right was gripping, and I really felt his urgency. The push and pull between the two of them was very tempestuous in this, and I enjoyed it even though it left me on tenterhooks waiting for the resolution.
9. Title: The Pandora Complex Author: Nimori Rating: Explicit Words: 9,859 Warnings: none Summary: Some boxes, once opened, are impossible to shut. Or, Snape discovers fanfiction.
Thoughts: This is straight up one of the funniest fucking things I’ve ever read in my life. I lost my breath on numerous occasions, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Severus Snape losing his mind over fanfiction is something I will never get over. Read this if you need a laugh and some hot sex on the side.
10. Title: Swoop!™ Author: florahart Rating: Explicit Words: 19,010 Warnings: none Summary: Severus is feeling listless and unwell, and he's only in his fifties so he can't be dying of old age just yet. Perhaps it's curse damage, or lingering effects of the venom. And, dreadful though visiting a healer might be, perhaps there's medicine. It might be worth a try. ...But then the prescription is exercise. Bollocks. And he's promised to make a real effort.
Thoughts: This is another fic I enjoyed the hell out of because it made me laugh so much. It still managed to nail the characterization of Severus, and his infamous snark was on point the whole way through. Harry has a very cool job in this fic. I love it when he has an unusual career. Their banter (and later on, flirting!) was fantastic in this, and the fic really deserves a lot more attention. It’s a gem for sure.
Honorable Mentions:
Title: a certain optimism Author: hippocrates460 Rating: Explicit Words: 12,032 Warnings: none Summary: Prompt 20 asked for 'A fic focused around the Half-Blood Prince's book and Harry's reaction to it.' This fic focuses on the book, Harry's reaction to it, Severus' reaction to that, and the various difficulties of moving on after a war has ended.
Thoughts: Another one I didn’t know the author of until after fest reveals. I was so in love with this fic, and I still am, just now with the added bonus of knowing it’s by one of my favorite people in fandom. Harry and Severus communicate through the HBP’s textbook, and I’ll never get tired of the use of that trope in the context of Snarry fics. This was full of poignant moments, and you need to go savor each and every one of them just like I did.
Title: In Perpetuity Author: starcrossedgirl Rating: Explicit Words: 11,830 Warnings: implications of past dubcon/noncon/abusive relationships Summary: Some stories in life repeat in the same old patterns. Until they change. **For Snarry-A-Thon 12, prompt #061: Severus has always been a kept man. Now that those people are gone (for whatever reasons), he is left adrift until one day in walks Harry Potter.
Thoughts: Harry is competent and powerful and his tendency to save people is aimed at Severus in this, which ticks quite a few of my boxes. The writing is spectacular, and seeing Severus in such a vulnerable position brought up all sorts of feelings for me while reading. I’m probably due a reread for this because it’s been quite awhile, but starcrossedgirl is always worth a mention.
Title: a scratch for every itch Author: anonymous due to ongoing Snarry-A-Thon Rating: Teen and Up Words: 11,478 Warnings: none Summary: Severus Snape is an itch that Harry just can't scratch. **Prompt: Harry keeps kissing Severus every time they meet. It's a curse. No, really.
Thoughts: Ah, the lone non-explicit fic in this list. I like smut, what can I say? But this was so excellent I barely noticed the lack of naughty bits. I love a good co-workers fic, and this delivered on that quite well. Harry kissing Severus seemingly out of nowhere was amusing enough, but Severus’ reaction was so predictable while still managing to make my heart hurt. The dialogue was amazing in this, and I have a slight hunch about the author. We’ll just have to wait and see, but in the meantime, I encourage you all to check out this amazing fic, along with the rest of all the awesome works featured in this year’s Snarry-A-Thon!
I loveeeed your fic rec list! Can you rec me some other snarry or drarry fics that you stayed up all night to finish because it was so damn intriguing?
Hi, anon! I was planning on doing individual recs for each of these fics in the future, but your ask gave me a handy excuse to put them all in one post! These are some of my very favorite fics, and I read all of them after making all my top ten lists. The best thing about these ships is the seemingly boundless amount of talent when it comes to writing. I’ll never run out of amazing things to read! Oh, just a side note, but all of these except one is rated Explicit. I read a lot of smut, so if that’s not anyone’s thing, sorry in advance!
Drarry Fics
Title: That Old Black Magic Author: bixgirl1 Rating: Explicit Words: 77,777 Highlights: Arranged Marriage, Marriage Law, Enemies to Lovers, Lovers to Friends, Friends to Lovers, Magical Theory, Magical Lore, Family Histories, Parseltongue Harry, Slow Emotional Burn, Falling In Love, House Magic, Lots of lovely NSFW tags Warnings: Forced Marriage, References to Canon Character Death, References to Alcohol Abuse, References to Childhood Abuse/Trauma, Mutually Dubious Consent due to magical bond Summary: Centuries ago, marriage contracts were the norm — ready-made alliances between families, expected and complied with, without complaint. But norms have a way of changing, and when a long-dormant contract flares to life, Harry has to navigate an unexpected splintering of the path he'd thought would be easy after the war... with Draco Malfoy.
Thoughts: Look, I’m gonna admit right off the bat that this is now number one on my favorites list when it comes to Drarry. Bix is just it for me, perfect in every way. I’ve loved every single fic of hers I’ve read. That said, the characterizations are fucking spot on, and to borrow from my own comment to the author, the most delicious thing about this pairing is their friction, and boy does she deliver in that department. The banter, the sexual tension, the slow burn as they slowly grow closer. Guards eventually lowered, their hearts becoming as close as their bodies were from the onset.. I’m waxing poetic, but seriously, read this fic. I beg of you. I laughed, I cried, and everything in between. The smut was dynamite, but the sheer raw power and vibrancy of the feelings conveyed through this author’s gorgeous writing is what keeps me coming back for more (and by more I think I’ve read it five times.. so far, haha).
Title: Nearly Lost Things, Carefully Tended Author: SquadOfCats Rating: Explicit Words: 46,653 Highlights: Humor, Epilogue What Epilogue?, Post-War, Grimmauld Place, Antique Appraiser Draco, Memories, Slow Build, Redeemed Draco, Layabout Harry, Courtship, Harry Potter Fails at Courting, Feels, Explicit Sexual Content Warnings: Angst Summary: Three years after the war, Harry is lost, drifting, and feeling left behind. In an effort to get control of his life, he commits to cleaning out Grimmauld Place top-to-bottom and forcing it to be a home, whether it likes it or not. The rotten old house is stuffed full of antiques, and Harry is shocked to discover none other than Draco Malfoy running the local antique shop. Malfoy is polite -- too polite, and Harry soon finds himself with a mission: to annoy and bother Malfoy with the most hideous, absurd antiques he can find. But along the way, Harry comes to appreciate Draco, his work, and the power of connecting to the people who came before him. It's a hard lesson, but Harry learns that if he wants to build a future, he has to reconnect to his past, and Draco might just be the one to help him do it.
Thoughts: I quite literally stayed up until 4AM finishing this fic one night. I know because I said so in my comment on the fic itself! The premise was so intriguing, and I was already a huge fan of one of the author’s other fics. This one didn’t disappoint at all. I laughed so much my sides hurt, and the flirty banter between Harry and Draco was so amazing. The underlying theme of Harry seeking to deepen his connections to the memories of people he'd lost and reconnect with those still there was very poignant. Draco and the ‘resonance readings’ he did on the objects Harry and other people would bring into his shop was a really cool concept. I can’t recommend this highly enough. It’s another one I can see myself reading over and over again.
Title: Dragon Heartstrings Author: JET_Playin Rating: Explicit Words: 23,825 Highlights: Soulmates, Red String of Fate, Explicit Sexual Content, HP: EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Fluff, Romance, Implied Relationships, Falling in Love, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Tall Harry, Hurt/Comfort, Oblivious Harry, Oblivious Draco, Top Harry, Bottom Draco Warnings: Angst, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: Draco has seen the strings for almost as long as he can remember, but they don't mean anything. Anything at all....
Thoughts: I love soulmate fics. No really, it’s my favorite trope, and this fic absolutely does it justice in spades. We get to see a bit of Draco seeing the heartstrings throughout his early childhood and skipping around through his years at Hogwarts before settling into the meat of the story during his and Harry’s eighth year at school, which was really nice. Draco’s characterization really stood out in this fic. I loved how genuine his remorse felt while retaining his prickly personality. His and Harry’s slow slide into falling for each other was exquisite, and I was an absolute sap over the use of endearments by Harry (personal headcanon satisfied, haha). It’s an excellent read. You really can’t go wrong here.
Snarry Fics
Title: The Boy Who Died A Lot Author: starcrossedgirl Rating: Explicit Words: 71,767 Highlights: Humour, Drama, Character Study, Canon Rewrite, Slow Burn, All the feelings!, Happy Ending Warnings: temporary MCD, Dark Humour, Angst with a bit of horror, brief attempted noncon (not between main pairing), Suicidal Ideation and Attempt, morally grey and flawed characters Summary: Harry’s always been known as The Boy Who Lived. Only Severus knows that this is a lie. (Or: a portrait of Severus Snape, in seven acts.)
Thoughts: I was fully expecting this to be crack fic and nothing more, but boy was I wrong. Severus’ characterization was wonderful, and his slow growth in his regard for Harry nearly did me in. I laughed a lot throughout this. The dark humour tag is well earned, but it worked for me. There were so many poignant moments in this, and I cried more than once, not gonna lie. Heed the warnings because there’s some heavy ones, but I found the amazing writing and a plot that just sucked me in and wouldn’t let go was well worth the bruised and tender heartache that was eased by the promise of a happy ending. This is recced a lot, but I can definitely see why. It’s a great read.
Title: Corresponding Shapes Author: bleedcolor Rating: Teen and Up Words: 5,516 Highlights: Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soul Bond, Romance, Fix-It of Sorts Warnings: Harry has some angst Summary: For a very long time he hadn’t known what the names meant. He’d woken up the morning of his 7th birthday and there they were; red as blood, one more thing to brand him as a freak in the eyes of his aunt and uncle.
Thoughts: My comment on this is a rambling mess of devotion. Bleedcolor manages to convey what feels like a rewrite of canon in 5.5k. She is either a magical being or made a deal with the devil. I can't quite decide which. Harry is exquisitely written in this, and I just went to pieces at the end. The changes to canon are very deftly done, and it feels like we get so much more story than the word count would at first indicate. Seriously, if you like soulmate fics, this is one of the coolest (and loveliest) Snarry ones out there.
Title: Halfway to Hornsea Author: ac1d6urn Rating: Explicit Words: 30,472 Highlights: Hurt/Comfort, Small Towns, Seaside, Muggles, Auror Harry, Spy Severus, Patronus, Slow Burn Warnings: Dark Magic, Angst Summary: As Auror Potter's first mission goes terribly wrong in Atwick, Yorkshire, will Severus Snape's curse-breaking knowledge and family roots be enough to save the day?
Thoughts: I'm in love with this author's style, and they created amazing art for the fic as well! Harry and Severus' characterizations were spot on, and the addition of Severus' mother Eileen was particularly enjoyable. I loved the slow, meandering way in which Harry and Severus drew closer together. This is one of the better hurt/comfort fics I've read, and that's saying a lot as it's one of my favorite tropes. I can't recommend this fic highly enough. It's a winner for sure.
Hi!! I'm feeling rather emotional now, really need something that makes me grin or sob or heartbroken, anything. Can you rec me fics which are full of emotions?
Oh, my dear Anon. I meant to answer this the week it was asked, and then life decided to sidetrack me for a while (like a super long time actually, omg, I'm so sorry). I dug out my notes for how I was going to answer, and I’m compiling them now, horribly late, but still utterly sincere. Each of the fics on this list is both chock full of emotion and made me an emotional wreck. Not in a bad way, mind you, because I am a wuss, and unhappy endings would crush my fragile heart. But still. There was lots of laughter, lots of tears, and definitely a good bit of blushing. Please note that I read mostly explicit fics, so a lot of these are spicy. Fair warning!
Drarry Fics
Title: Balance, Imperfect Author: bixgirl1 Rating: Explicit Words: 91,000 Highlights: EWE, Healing, Healer Draco, Domesticity, Romance, Dating, Falling In Love, and some lovely NSFW tags Warnings: Physical Disability, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Longing, Dubious Medical Ethics, Disability Summary: When Harry sustains an injury in the line of work, he no longer knows how to navigate the life he loved, and finds help and solace from the most unexpected source.
Thoughts: I wrestle with myself relentlessly over whether or not this should overtake That Old Black Magic as my favorite bixgirl1 fic. It ripped me open and left me bleeding several times. I wept openly no less than four times during this fic. It's just scalding raw emotion poured directly into your veins and deals with such difficult subjects and feelings in gorgeous and flawless ways. There is a happy ending. Make no mistake. Bix has never failed me in this regard. I've read TOBM more times so far, but this fic was an absolute experience. If you enjoy being gutted and then made whole again, this is absolutely the fic for you.
Title: Burn The Witch Author: lettersbyelise Rating: Explicit Words: 95,800 Highlights: Unusual Careers, Demisexual Draco, Case Fic, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Autistic Scorpius, Slow Burn, Banter, Snark, Happy Ending, lots of delightful NSFW tags Warnings: Pining, Mentions of Violence, Angst, Scars, Mention of Panic Attacks, Mentions of Therapy Summary: When Harry Potter is sent in to investigate Draco Malfoy’s successful potions company, posing as Draco’s bodyguard, he doesn’t know the case will launch a series of events that will change his life — and Draco’s. A story about choices, scars, Chopin piano pieces, and finding all kinds of love in the most unexpected places.
Thoughts: The author wrote Draco beautifully as someone who really grew out of the prejudices his parents instilled in him and found his own mind and voice and purpose in a really meaningful way. I thought his relationship with Scorpius was beautiful, and their take on a child on the autism spectrum was handled with care and aplomb. Ernestina was one of my favorite OCs ever in a story. She's really fantastic. Harry seemed to slip right into their lives so comfortably, and I liked how natural that felt. Like it was bound to happen (because of course it was, haha). I loved how fiercely protective he was of both Draco and Scorpius, and the author caught Harry’s endless capacity for love just perfectly in this story. The action scenes were wrenching, though minor in the scheme of things. This was an absolutely gorgeous story, one of my favorites.
Title: Blood and Fire Author: lq_traintracks Rating: Explicit Words: 44,888 Highlights: EWE, Tattoos, Patronus, Dragons, Kneazles, Owls, an epic shit-ton of white hot NSFW tags Warnings: Angst, Pining, Scars Summary: Harry has spent the last twelve years in Romania, not returning to England as often as he knows he should. It's complicated. But when Ginny asks him to be her best man and help her plan her wedding, he can't say no. Having a reckoning with his choices, with himself, won't be easy. To say nothing of seeing Draco again.
Thoughts: Harry running off to Romania to take care of dragons was such an inspired idea. I don't know why I hadn't considered it before, but it suited him perfectly. I've always thought it likely he'd want to travel or get away from his fame somehow, and this was an amazing way to go about it. I did not anticipate how much the idea of both him and Draco pining for each other for 12 years would gut me, but my god, the tension when they encountered each other first at Ginny and Pansy's and then in the pub was electric. My comment on this fic was embarrassingly enthusiastic. Read this. It's phenomenal.
Snarry Fics
Title: the gentleness that comes Author: Likelightinglass Rating: Explicit Words: 29,272 Highlights: EWE, Canon Divergence, Severus Snape Lives, Fluff, Domesticity, and again a ton of NSFW tags (What can I say? I have a type.) Warnings: Insecurity, Scars, Hurt/Comfort Summary: There's something bothering Severus, and Harry wants to help. It's easier for Severus to let go when he's exploring his submissive side, so Harry plans a weekend to show him just how loved he is, and how much Harry wants to care for him. Based on the prompt: Harry has a thing for scars, and Severus has a need for reassurance. They just happen to be what the other requires.
Thoughts: There is no sweeter dynamic than the one captured by Light's versions of Harry and Severus. The tenderness Harry shows for Sev in this brought me to tears several times. The smut was hot and sweet and everything I wanted. I am fully admitting my bias with this being a gift fic for me, but this is more than just an exploration of kink on the softer side of things. It's a gorgeous piece of prose that's just chock full of love in its most beautiful forms. I can't recommend this enough. It's perfect.
Title: Finders Keepers Author: Lilian Rating: Teen And Up Words: 7,325 Highlights: EWE, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Severus Snape Lives, Magical Realism, Hedwig Lives, Drama, Healing, Happy Ending Warnings: Age Difference, Angst, Hurt/Comfort Summary: Soulmate AU from tumblr @the-rotten-prince: Imagine whenever you lose something, your soulmate winds up finding it. Severus Snape doesn't find a single thing until he's twenty. By that time, he has given up and ignores a young boy, when he arrives at Hogwarts.
Thoughts: Lilian is a frigging genius when it comes to soulmate fics. That's all there is to it. This was absolutely gorgeous. I loved getting to see Severus' younger years, though him losing things in order for his soulmate to find them and consequently find him broke my fucking heart. This fic brought all the feels, and it is so, so good. There's not a thing I've read of hers that I haven't liked. Just lovely.
Title: The Measure of a Man Author: Acid Rating: Explicit Words: 50,163 Highlights: EWE, Canon Divergence, Severus Snape Lives, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Trans Harry, Spinner’s End, Coming Out, FTM Harry, Trans Male Character, Gender Identity, Auror Harry, Legilimency, Transitioning, Transgender, Trans Female Character, Severus Snape Has A Heart, Grimmauld Place, Smut Warnings: Closets, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Misgendering, Gender Dysphoria, Trust Issues, Drinking, Gender Roles Summary: Several years after defeating Voldemort, Junior Auror Harry Potter discovers himself and, at the risk of losing his childhood love, follows the truth. Through it all, Snape is an unexpected solace. Will he become more?
Thoughts: This fic was an incredibly powerful look into Harry's mind during his transition. The relationships were rich and deep, and the feelings in this were both raw and immensely powerful. I related strongly to parts as a trans nonbinary person, and the topic was covered honestly and thoroughly. Harry and Severus' characterizations were gorgeous, and the evolution of their relationship was stunning to watch. This is a must read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
Golden Trio
Title: Where Silence Has Come To Lick Its Wounds Author: p1013 Rating: Explicit Words: 2,681 Highlights: Canon Divergence, No Dialogue, Porn With Feelings, a few more lovely NSFW tags Warnings: none Summary: When he comes back to the Horcrux hunt, Ron asks if Harry still wants him, if they still want him, and it's a cold shock almost worse than the frozen lake around Harry's body that Ron might consider the answer is anything other than yes or please or never leave us again.
Thoughts: I have yet to read a ton of fics for this OT3, but I just had to include it in this list. The author's style is wonderful, and I loved the wordless communication through touch and expression they all had throughout their love-making. This was pure poetry in motion, and the three of them coming together felt very natural in the moment. Just gorgeous.
Eighth Year Drarry Recs
I was compiling a list for a friend's new Drarry recruit, and I decided to slap it up here for anyone else looking for some good 8th year Drarry fics. I had to be very strict with myself because otherwise half this list would've been bixgirl1 fics. Yes, I am a shameless fan of her work, and it is rare that a Drarry rec list by me doesn't have at least one of hers. So you're welcome for my show of restraint. Haha. Anyway, these are all explicit because I like smut, but most of them are more plot driven and just happen to have very hot smut as a bonus. They aren't in any particular order, but they are all five star recs off my master list. Oh, and the titles are links to the stories on AO3. Now onto the fics!
Year 8 Recs
In Evidence of Magical Theory by bixgirl1 (E, 43k)
Thoughts: The detail that went into the theory of magical cores and how Harry's and Draco's were represented by their respective elements and the way they each experienced the other's as they explored their link was mind-blowing and so impressive. I was enchanted by the way they crashed together and the constant thrum of their classic push and pull made me smile throughout the entire fic. The smut was on fire, but the true draw of a bixgirl1 fic is the depth of the emotions. Amazing work and a must-read.
Helix by Saras_Girl (E, 92k)
Thoughts: There were so many points in this story that I laughed until I nearly cried and just as many that I actually did tear up a little. The author's characterizations were spot on, and I especially loved Harry's helpless sort of slide into desperately wanting to be Draco's friend, then inevitably falling for him. The frost snails were so neat, and I adored Solomon! He's one of my new favorite Drarry pets ever. The portrayal of Draco's grief for Snape was touching and made me cry more than once. This is one of my favorites. I highly recommend it.
Dragon Heartstrings by JET_Playin (E, 23k)
Thoughts: I liked how the author covered Draco's experience with seeing the red strings throughout the years, briefly touching on his early childhood and skipping through his years at Hogwarts before settling into the meat of the story during his and Harry's eighth year at school. It was nice to have that history even in a streamlined fashion before we jumped right into them growing closer after the war. I loved how they wrote Draco. His remorse felt very genuine while retaining his prickly personality. I loved the warmth the Golden Trio exuded toward him, especially Harry's easy affection in the beginning. When Harry got awkward I instantly saw it was that weird bumbling way he (and Neville is so right about this) as a dork would be with someone he had a crush on. Poor Draco just couldn't even fathom that being true, and it made things so much harder than they had to be. But the journey to get to the happy ending was the best part. Loved this!
Say My Name by Thunderbird587 (E, 199k)
Thoughts: This is one of my favorite 8th year fics ever. I loved Harry's fixation on Draco after hearing him say his name while wanking in the shower. The slow build of their relationship was just lovely, and I really enjoyed Harry's apprenticeship helping him figure out what he wanted from life. I definitely recommend this. It's an amazing read.
Two Trees by LakeWitch (E, 36k)
Thoughts: I related to Draco's anxiety so much, and the descriptions of his panic felt very genuine to my experience. I also thought that the unexpected peace he found in nature was lovely, and the descriptions of the lake and the woods were all so nicely done that even reading them I felt like it was a little easier to breathe right here in my living room! Draco’s characterization was my favorite here, but they were all well written. I loved how much this fic made me feel a full range of emotions. The author's style was delightful, and I really can’t say enough good things about this fic. It's one of my favorite 8th year fics ever, and I highly recommend it.
The Only True Goal of the Universe by punk_rock_yuppie (E, 22k)
Thoughts: I loved the characterizations of all the characters, particularly Harry and Draco. Harry's respectful approach to Draco's transition, asking him about preferences and checking in with him often during sex was very nicely done and made me incredibly happy to see. The smut was so, so hot, and I loved the explicit and enthusiastic consent practiced throughout each of their encounters. Their banter was fantastic throughout the whole fic. This was such an enjoyable read. I definitely recommend it.
Lumos by birdsofshore (E, 41k)
Thoughts: The writing style is fantastic, the banter between Harry and Draco is spot on, and the emotion conveyed in the story had me thrumming with happiness by the end. This is one of the best 8th year fics out there, bar none. I've read it several times and undoubtedly will do so again.
Things Worth Knowing by Femme & noeon (E, 164k)
Thoughts: The characterizations of Harry and Draco were both spot on. I adored Ravi and Omolade, as well. The slow development of Harry and Draco's relationship in this was incredibly well done. This is one of my favorite Eighth Year stories ever, and I cried more than once. Amazing storytelling. I highly recommend it.
You Look the Way I Feel by yourdifferentoctober (E, 108k)
Thoughts: I loved the way the author handled Draco's trauma. It felt very genuine and not overdone. Harry's as well, for that matter. I liked how their feelings were so similar, but they both dealt with it in very different ways. The way they slowly came together was so lovely, and Harry's possessive/protective behavior of Draco was just hitting all my buttons. The smut was superb. This is definitely a favorite of mine.
Catching the Niffler by keyflight790 & tsundanire (E, 10k)
Thoughts: Jesus fucking Christ, I had to scrape myself up off of the floor after this one! I was nothing but a pile of goo afterward. Eighth year party games is such a good trope, and Catch the Niffler is a rad new game to add to the list. Hot damn! Blaise had me cackling like a loon the whole time he was center stage, be it issuing a dare or performing his own. The Drarry was hot as fuck, with a perfect moment of tenderness at the end. You know it's gonna be good when nearly all of the tags are smutty. Haha.
Accidental Bonding Recs
So I put together another rec list for a friend asking for these who wanted some that weren't angst-heavy, and then another friend said they'd be interested in the ones with more angst. So we have a two-parter, of sorts, and I thought I might as well slap it up here, too.
Accidental Bonding Recs (not so angsty)
Two Weeks by shiftylinguini (E, 21k)
Thoughts: At first I was like.. veela Harry? Ehhh. Then I saw the author, and I was like, "It's shiftylinguini. Who cares what else it says?" I'm quite happy I took the plunge because this was so good! I think ultimately I still prefer veela Draco if either of them is going to be a veela, but it was very like Harry to try to suffer through the symptoms of longing for the person he'd fixated on for fear of alienating them. And of course that person was Draco. The smut was incredibly hot, also. I highly recommend this.
In Evidence of Magical Theory by bixgirl1 (E, 43k)
Thoughts: The detail that went into the theory of magical cores and how Harry's and Draco's were represented by their respective elements and the way they each experienced the other's as they explored their link was mind-blowing and so impressive. I was enchanted by the way they crashed together and the constant thrum of their classic push and pull made me smile throughout the entire fic. The smut was on fire, but the true draw of a bixgirl1 fic is the depth of the emotions. Amazing work and a must-read.
Let's Take A Chance On Happiness by endless_grey (E, 21k)
Thoughts: I liked the idea of Harry working with Luna in her shop. I've read one where they owned a book shop together before, but this was new for me. I enjoyed her friendship with both Harry and Draco in this. It felt very true to her character. Harry and Draco's bickering and tension was also well done. I liked that Harry was the one pining, as it's usually Draco. This is definitely worth a read.
Celestial Bodies by (again, haha) shiftylinguini (E, 20k)
Thoughts: Harry and Draco being bonded by 'space magic' as they both looked up at a comet during a stake out was too funny for words, and I loved that it was merely a catalyst for them to admit to something that had already been building between them for some time. The sexual tension was through the roof, and the smut was on fire. You can usually count on shiftylinguini for an amazing read, and this was no exception.
Accidental Bonding Recs Continued (these hit harder, but the payoff is just as sweet)
The Light More Beautiful by firethesound (E, 81k)
Thoughts: Draco was so clever and creative in this, and the way he felt about Harry took my breath away. He appreciated the exact things about him that make me love Harry so much as a character, and it was probably my favorite thing about this fic. The pining was achingly lovely, the banter and teasing was fun, and the smut was scorching hot. I loved everyone's rivalry with the famous Agnes from the Floo address department, and both Harry's and Draco's battle for approval of their department acronyms had me dying of laughter. This fic was fantastic and definitely worth a read.
Harmonized Consciousness by Talizora (E, 24k)
Thoughts: This was hilarious and incredibly smutty. I love a good soulmate fic, and the fact that they found out through a spell they expected to end after an hour was too priceless for words. Of course Draco, giant wanker that he is, doesn't want to end the spell and instead spends all day fucking with Harry. These two fit the rivals to lovers stereotype so well it almost writes itself.
For The Greater Good by jadepresley (E, 62k)
Thoughts: This was forced proximity done right, and I loved how it felt like a slow burn even though the story only took place over a couple of weeks. The sexual tension was off the charts, and the smut was sizzling hot, though I was just as gripped by the intensity of the feelings as I was by the physical intimacy itself. If you like bonding fics, then this is definitely a must-read.
Grounds for Divorce by Tepre (E, 122k)
Thoughts: I loved Draco's little idiosyncrasies and Harry's fumbling brashness. I was by turns frustrated and charmed by them as they danced around each other. The author's style is so poetic that I was brought to tears at several points of this fic. I loved several of the OCs, and the absolute best part of the fic is the whole trip to Luxor. Hold out for that, and you're golden. This is a must read. It's been on my top ten for ages, and I've read it at least four times now. I'll absolutely do so again. Grounds for Divorce is a thing of beauty, and it would be a travesty to miss out, in my opinion.
Chain Me Up or Set Me Free by alpha_exodus (E, 12k)
Thoughts: I thought that Neville giving Draco a chance was really nice, and the situation of Harry coming to work at the same company and immediately going off on Draco was hilarious even as it had me shaking my head in exasperation at his temper. Accidental bonding fics are a great part of the forced proximity trope, and this one was a treat to watch develop. Draco and Harry's animosity at first felt very realistic, and Draco being evasive and keeping his feelings hidden was very much like him. I liked how we got to see him slowly falling for Harry while mistakenly thinking that Harry wasn't doing the same. I won't spoil it, but this was a nice read.
Drarry A/B/O Recs
Okay, so these are obviously all smut. As we've established, I rarely read anything without at least a little bit involved, but to be fair, this trope is basically made for it. Don't let that fool you into thinking that smut is the only thing that omegaverse fics can accomplish. I'm very picky about this trope for a reason. It's not often done well in the HP universe, but these are all 5/5 stars on my master list. If you're a fan of a/b/o, then these are all worth checking out.
Embers by shiftylinguini (E, 41k)
Thoughts: This is the best HP Omegaverse fic I've ever read that isn't currently a WiP. I usually don't find that the trope works well for this fandom, but shiftylinguini absolutely made me take that back with this fic. This isn't just about fucking. Harry helps Draco work through the issue of his block when it comes to knotting, but they bond in an incredibly intimate way (emotionally, too, you deviants) in the process. It's in my top ten for a reason. Amazing!
Turn, Drop, Fall by Tessa Crowley (E, 29k)
Thoughts: Mind the tags if any of that isn't your thing. I'll go against the grain and clarify that the Attempted Rape/Noncon isn't between Harry and Draco, and it doesn't go past manhandling. That aside, this fic was riveting and sucked me in from the very first scene. The smut was some of the hottest I've read, and Harry and Draco's interactions were always passionate and very compelling. The pining in this was excruciating, but it was definitely worth it for the happy ending. I highly recommend this. It's a very well written a/b/o fic.
Burning the Ground by lq_traintracks (E, 10k)
Thoughts: This was stupidly hot, and I cannot stress that enough. Draco's concern for Harry, the victim of a werewolf attack, was very apparent from the onset, and one of my absolute favorite parts of this was their banter even in the midst of such a serious situation. The sexual tension was off the charts in this, and the smut was top notch. I highly recommend this one.
This Is How by bixgirl1 (E, 6k)
Thoughts: This was insanely hot. I love that they were working towards friendship before the surprise of Draco's first heat, and it always tickles me how we who love Drarry use their obsession with each other in school as a backdrop for the fact that they're obviously meant for each other. I find the mechanics of a/b/o fascinating, and the author's own hints about how it would work in this AU are interesting. This was a great read.
Tending the Flames by keyflight790 (E, 6k)
Thoughts: This was incredibly hot and sweet all at once. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of serious conversation during them being intimate, how Harry was insistent on convincing Draco that he loved him and wanted him, no one else. I also thought the daddy kink slipped in there was especially nice. And there's incredible fan art, too!
The Songbirds of Avebury Manor by Tessa Crowley (E, 18k)
Thoughts: I loved the roles the author placed everyone in, the characterizations fit the story, and the writing style fit the time period perfectly. The tone was overall incredibly romantic, and I'm a sap who loves that sort of thing. I loved the understated pining, and the bit of intrigue to the plot was a nice way to keep things lively. As stated previously, I don't often see omegaverse fics done well in the HP-verse, so this was a nice treat.
A Late Presentation by SouthronWilding (E, 10k)
Thoughts: I loved Draco's characterization. His reluctance about the whole affair down to him fighting his instincts was very on point. I also appreciated Harry's signing up to be an alpha volunteer. He would do something like that with his 'saving people thing'. I also really appreciated the moments of vulnerability throughout this, and the smut was both hot and intimate. There's a sequel in the works, but it's still a WiP and hasn’t been updated in quite some time.
Rut Mentoring Services Rendered by kitty_fic (E, 3k)
Thoughts: I loved how Harry and Draco both felt in character, the scenario itself was utterly believable, and so much of their history was covered so succinctly. That was brilliantly done. I felt like I got a lot more fic in only 3k. Their chemistry was undeniable, and the sex itself was filthy and hot and perfect. Excellent PWP!
Heat of the Moment by Writcraft (E, 2k)
Thoughts: It would be just like Draco to avoid the hell out of Harry until he absolutely couldn't anymore. The intensity of the feelings in this were incredible, and the urgency of the sex was hot and delightful, tempered nicely by Harry's concern for Draco and his need to make the frown between his eyebrows go away. Everything Writcraft touches turns to gold. Loved this.
The Lily Spell by pickledghost (E, 86k)
Thoughts: This was so incredibly lovely. I adore omegaverse fics done well, and I really enjoyed this one. I didn't mind Draco's characterization being OOC at all. I loved it, actually. He was so sweet I just couldn't get enough of him. Harry's characterization was great, too. It was a very realistic interpretation of how Harry might've turned out if there'd been no second war. He was still very much himself at his core, just more confident and self-assured, I think. I loved how protective he was of Draco from the very beginning. The slow burn was so well done that I didn't even notice the passage of time while I was glued to the story. It hooked me in and kept me invested from start to finish. The smut was both hot and incredibly fully of emotion. I can’t recommend this highly enough. It was wonderfully done.
Snarry Soulmates Recs
No promises that I've never recced anything on this list before. As a matter of fact, I know I have, but one can really never give a good fic too much love. And hey, be proud of me. There's recs on this list with no smut at all! In no particular order, they are:
The Gift of Kindness by hippocrates460 (E, 105k)
Thoughts: Y'all I'm gonna preface this by saying this is my favorite fanfic of all time. I'm serious. I have a tattoo inspired by it. That's permanent devotion right there. That said, the theme of this fic is so heart-warming that it is a favorite for comfort rereads. Severus is softer in private here, and his devotion to Harry is absolute. If you're a hopeless romantic, this is the fic for you. The courtship rituals are gorgeous and really an overarching backbone throughout the story. I could wax poetic about this fic for ages, no lie. It is always my first rec for anyone if they love Snarry, and it's also the one I dangle in front of people who are willing to give them a shot. It's perfect. You really can't go wrong here.
Soulmate Flowers by Lilian (G, 4k)
Thoughts: This was absolutely, bewitchingly lovely. I was captivated by the concept, enchanted by the content, and I'm smitten with the ending. Stunning work. Hippocrates460's companion piece for it, Bloom, is also phenomenal. P.S. Lilian has several soulmate fics, and they're all amazing. So check out the rest of her stuff.
Corresponding Shapes by bleedcolor (T, 5k)
Thoughts: My comment on this is a rambling mess of devotion. bleedcolor manages to convey what feels like a rewrite of canon in 5.5k. She is a magical being or made a deal with the devil. I can't quite decide which. Harry is exquisitely written in this, and I just went to pieces at the end. Loved it!
Succor by pluperfectsunrise (E, 40k)
Thoughts: This was my first ever girl!Harry story, and it remains my favorite. I appreciated the issues a female Harry would have to contend with that a male Harry would not growing up. The author handled those with a delicate touch, and I related to the character in a whole new way as a result. She was beautifully written, and Severus was as well. This did my favorite trope justice, and it was just a fantastic read. pluperfectsunrise is amazing in general.
World Enough, and Time by Likelightinglass (T, 6k)
Thoughts: I absolutely loved it. The idea of a countdown has always struck me as incredibly morbid, and in reference to Harry and Severus specifically as quite tragic. The author worked it into the framework of canon quite well, and the moments that were all their own were wonderfully emotive and touching. The angst was real and made my heart hurt, but I can always count on Light for a happy ending. This is a must read if you like soulmate AUs.
A Universe of Searching Souls by Writcraft (E, 9k)
Thoughts: I thought that Harry's reaction to having a matching mark as Severus was typical for him, ignore, avoid, put it off. Hah. I had to laugh when he had to hunt Severus down because he lived in the middle of bumfuck nowhere because he's a grumpy sod who dislikes people in general. Everything by Writcraft is magic, so you really can't go wrong here.
Waiting to Divide by emynn (E, 22k)
Thoughts: I keep saying I don't like time travel that much, but it keeps popping up and I keep loving these fics against my will or something. I mean, it's also a soulmate fic, so there is that. I also love emynn in general. The time portal gimmick is neat, and Harry really does have lovely friends. I cried at one point, but I'm a big weenie. I absolutely rec this when all is said and done. I loved it.
Immortal Claim by ladyofsilverdawn (E, 18k)
Thoughts: The murders lent an exciting bit of intrigue to this story, and the sexual tension between Harry and Severus was electric from the very beginning. The descriptions of the art and the buildings was particularly vivid. I very much enjoyed Harry and Severus' dynamic in this, and the smut was delicious. I definitely recommend this one. I enjoyed it a lot.
Tears of the Sun by Eriador117 (E, 66k)
Thoughts: This was so good! I devoured it in like a day and a half. I love bond fics, and Severus rescuing Harry from the Dursleys was a nice addition to that trope. The idea of him being raised afterward in a loving home with the Weasleys, who were basically his adopted family in canon anyway, was so sweet. It was my first time seeing a fic where Harry went to a different school and had such a different experience in general, though I know there are others out there. I still thought it clever and original, and I enjoyed the whole thing immensely. It does have some graphic descriptions of child abuse, so definitely mind the tags.
Pentamerone by ripeteeth (E, 15k)
Thoughts: This is a resurrected classic from a pillar of the Snarry writing community, and it is a thing of beauty. The prose is poetry in motion, truly, which is a hallmark of the author's style. I was glued to this until I finished it, and I had fic hangover for a few days the first time. 15k did that to me. I don't honestly know how to adequately describe how much I love drawlight's way with words. Read this. Read anything by this author. It's an absolute treasure.
Drarry Case Fic Recs
So there are eleven of these instead of the usual ten I typically try to keep my lists at, but I just couldn't pick one to cut! The first is the only non-smutty one. It's absolutely brilliant, so I didn't even miss the hanky panky. Okay, fine. Only a little bit. They're in no particular order, as each one is gorgeous, and you should read each and every one of them. Well? Go on, read them!
Each Breath My First by laughingd0g (T, 46k)
Thoughts: The characterizations were dazzling, particularly Draco's. I loved his quirks, and the descriptions of his cottage were delightful. I found the curse damage Harry suffered from as fascinating as it was heartbreaking. The case was engaging, and the suspense was super intense! I loved the slow burn. This is an amazing read by an overall dazzling writer.
Chasing Shadows by manixzen (E, 93k)
Thoughts: This is an incredible case fic. The murder mystery evolves into something so rich in detail that it blows my mind how the author kept up with all the threads of the plot. Harry being closeted hurt me down to my soul. Just.. the way he gave in to the expectations of others and never lived for himself. Twenty years. That's a long time to be lonely and consumed with a job that makes you miserable. I felt for him, and the fact that the author could write it in such a way to bring out such vivid emotions is incredible. The ones that make people feel deeply are the best kinds of stories, and that's what they've created here. Read this. Both the fic and the fan art that comes with it are absolutely gorgeous.
Life Lessons by bixgirl1 (E, 68k)
Thoughts: This was brilliant. The background plot of a shadowy figure menacing the Slytherins was engaging, and the side characters were brilliant, my favorite being Greg Goyle. Harry and Draco's chemistry was off the charts, and the snark and banter are everything I've come to expect from a bixgirl1 fic. The rimming scene was the hottest one I've ever read, so there's a ton to look forward to in this!
And an Owl Named Romeo by Rickey (E, 26k)
Thoughts: I love a good epistolary fic, and this was absolutely delightful. I loved the way Harry kept coming back to see Draco and kept writing to him even when he was rebuffed by a very prickly and standoffish Draco. Their characterizations were fantastic. Romeo was an absolute riot, and I loved him to pieces! The magical theory involved in owls and mail-carrying was really neat, and I thought it was cool how it fit into the case. And speaking of the case, the drama really came through as well! This made me feel all the feelings, and it was so wonderfully written and enjoyable.
Serpentes by xErised (E, 29k)
Thoughts: This was so fucking good. It was hilarious and intriguing and had me hooked from the very beginning. I read it in one sitting, and I was bereft when I got to the end because that meant there wasn't any more of it! Bacon was my absolute favorite thing about the fic. He stole the show and my heart. The case itself was heartbreaking with what they were doing to those poor snakes, but it sure did keep the tension high. I won’t say anymore except to assure you that the dancing and the smut were both hot as fuck and definitely worth checking out. Read this!
All the Earnest Young Men by Tepre (E, 29k)
Thoughts: Draco was perfect in this, maddening and insufferable and utterly insecure underneath. He drove everyone around him mad, including Harry, who avoided him like the plague. I enjoyed the time skips. It was an interesting and engaging way to experience the story. I loved Draco's clumsy attempts to make friends with Harry, and them at the museum was a riot. I laughed so much at this fic, but it was also full of such poignant moments between Harry and Draco. The intimacy of the sex scenes was breathtaking. Another favorite, for sure.
Kaleidoscope by Saras_Girl (E, 104k)
Thoughts: This was so insanely good, and I can't adequately express how much I enjoyed it. The pining was so potent in this that I felt the ache in my chest throughout the entire fic, and Harry's characterization was so damn good that it alone made me want to cry. Him rambling around in Grimmauld Place tending to his plants and sharing his home with Calliope and Patrick made for such a cozy and domestic scene even while Harry practically oozed longing for Draco from his very pores. I won’t spoil the plot, but this is my favorite Saras_Girl fic since Turn. It is a must-read, no doubt about it.
The Light More Beautiful by firethesound (E, 81k)
Thoughts: Draco was so clever and creative in this, and the way he felt about Harry took my breath away. He appreciated the exact things about him that make me love Harry so much as a character, and it was probably my favorite thing about this fic. The pining was achingly lovely, the banter and teasing were fun, and the smut was scorching hot. I loved everyone's rivalry with the famous Agnes from the Floo address department, and both Harry's and Draco's battle for approval of their department acronyms had me dying of laughter. This fic was fantastic and definitely worth a read.
A Sword Laid Aside by korlaena (E, 128k)
Thoughts: This fic is a gem. It is utterly original in both idea and execution. I love the fact that the author went with older versions of Harry and Draco than I usually see in fics, and I adore how they nurture each other throughout their ordeal on the run. Absolutely fantastic.
Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love by aibidil (E, 80k)
Thoughts: This approached the issue of consent so well, and I love it when fics make me think as much as they entertain me. This did both in spades. Hermione was a fucking rock star in this. I almost enjoyed her more than Harry and Draco, tbh. But I still loved them, of course! The switching perspectives made for a rich and intense bit of story-telling. It just really enhanced the whole thing. The arguments both for and against the use of love and lust potions, the fight to make them illegal, and then everyone dealing with the ongoing harassment Hermione and her loved ones were experiencing all made for a compelling read.
Harry and Draco's rocky relationship taking place throughout all this was so fun to see develop. Their banter was amazing. I loved the tension, and it only made the release all the sweeter when it finally happened. The many moments of levity throughout the fic were what surprised me the most. I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did for a fic that covered such heavy topics, but it was rife with humor.
A Lick and a Promise by tackytiger (E, 55k)
Thoughts: The characterizations were phenomenal, and the outpouring of emotion inherent to the author's style was so present throughout this. I found the case fascinating, and the magical theory involved behind both the stolen magic, how vampirism worked here, and the sentience of Hogwarts had me hooked and so utterly impressed by the author's creativity. Harry and Draco's banter was excellent, and their passion made my toes curl delightfully. Highly recommend.
Drarry As Parents Fic Recs
I answered a request for fics in which Draco and/or Harry were parents ages ago, & I figured I'd throw 'em up here for people to reference & share as they liked. There are even two non-explicit recs this time, y'all! Does this mean I'm slightly less of a degenerate yet? (Probably not, oh well, lol.) Anyway, onto the recs!
All I Want For Christmas (Is For You To Stop Talking) by Femme & Noe (E, 162.9k)
Thoughts: This fic manages to feel like a slow burn to me despite taking place over the course of a month, & not only that, it's one of my favorites. I loved Draco & Harry as dads, & the whole concept of them sniping at each other over a children's holiday pageant made me laugh heartily. This was so well-written, & I enjoyed every bit of it.
Queer Eye for the Drarry Guys by Blowfish_Diaries (T, 18.2k)
Thoughts: I mean, what can I say other than that this was perfection? The Fab Five giving Harry & Draco makeovers at the behest of their adoring (& meddling) son Teddy was too precious for words. This was so fluffy & domestic & sweet that it nearly rotted my teeth out my head. It was lovely how much they cared for Teddy & what great dads they obviously were. I was floating on a cloud for hours after reading this. It was that cute.
Let It Fall by Buildyourwalls (E, 116.3k)
Thoughts: This is one of the most staggering portrayals of grief in fic I've ever read. My heart went out to Draco & Scorpius, & I cried a grand total of seven times reading this. It was gorgeously written, & every single character was fleshed out & engaging to read. Harry & Draco's slowly growing relationship had me spellbound, & I was so wrung out by the time I finished reading this I couldn't pick up another fic for a full day, if not longer. This is a must read. It's absolutely gorgeous.
Pocket Full of Starlight (Never Let It Fade Away) by Femme & Noe (E, 46.3k)
Thoughts: Okay, okay. I usually try not to double up on authors in the same rec list, but this fic really is just that good. This is a Parent Trap AU, & how frigging cute is that?! Jamie & Scorpius' rivalry at Quidditch camp had me in stitches, & the tension between Harry & Draco was electrifying. I particularly loved their characterizations. I highly recommend this. It was fantastic!
'Twas Brillig by Queenie_Mab (E, 73.9k)
Thoughts: I loved Harry's kids & his relationship with them in this. The trans characters were incredibly relatable, & my heart went out to the younger in particular with her struggle in coming out. I won't go into more details so as not to spoil that part, but it was very nicely done. Harry's own struggle with his sexuality made my heart hurt for him, & the split with Ginny was messy & painful. His & Draco's coming together was a fascinating read, & the smut was hot as hell. The case fic aspect took a backseat for me here. I was much more invested in the character's personal journeys, but both aspects of the fic were very well done.
Burn the Witch by lettersbyelise (E, 95.8k)
Thoughts: The author wrote Draco beautifully as someone who really grew out of the prejudices his parents instilled in him & found his own mind & voice & purpose in a really meaningful way. I thought his relationship with Scorpius was beautiful, & their take on a child on the autism spectrum was handled with care & aplomb. Ernestina was one of my favorite OCs ever in a story. She's really fantastic.
Harry seemed to slip right into their lives so comfortably, & I liked how natural that felt. Like it was bound to happen (because of course it was, haha). I loved how fiercely protective he was of both Draco & Scorpius, & they caught his endless capacity for love just perfectly in this story. The action scenes were wrenching, though minor in the scheme of things. This was an absolutely gorgeous story.
A Big Black Sky by AlexMeg (E, 90.5k)
Thoughts: At first I almost stopped reading this because a noncon tag wasn't included by the author, but to be fair they did put trigger warnings at the beginning of the chapters. That in mind, I skimmed what I couldn't handle & carried on. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this fic. The depth of emotion was beautiful, & I was so touched by Draco's love for his son. Harry's protectiveness made me warm inside, & watching them make their slow, fumbling way toward being a family with Draco, Scorpius, Harry & Teddy all together was so satisfying. I think the author handled the subjects of domestic violence & sexual assault with as much grace & tact as one can while writing a difficult narrative. I honestly don't think a good parent Drarry rec list would be complete without it. Just mind the tags because it definitely pulls no punches with the content it covers.
Where the treetops glisten (and children listen) by manixzen (T, 16.2k)
Thoughts: This was so heartwarming & lovely that I couldn't stop smiling through nearly the entire thing. I loved the idea of Harry & Draco being forced to spend time together due to babysitting Teddy for a week, & the opportunities for adorable hi-jinks were abundant indeed! Teddy pitting Harry & Draco against each other by playing to their need to be seen as his favorite was hilarious. I won't give anymore away, but this was so fluffy & cute it made my mood instantly brighten just from reading it.
Turn by Saras_Girl (E, 306.7k)
Thoughts: A must-read for many Drarry fans, I couldn't help but include Turn in this list because Harry's relationships with his kids & Maura are prominent (& very touching) features. The fic itself is a glimpse into what could have been if Harry made a different choice one night in sixth year & how that chance takes him in a direction he never quite saw coming. The whole story is spellbinding & gripped me until the very end. I've read it five or six times at this point if that tells you anything, so if you haven't yet, you bloody well should!
Harry Potter and the Great Cat Caper by Kbrick (E, 78.6k)
Thoughts: I enjoyed this fic overall, & I laughed a lot in the first half. It takes a turn a bit further in, & I'm including a couple more specific warnings the author did not because I felt they warranted mention. They do warn at the beginning of the chapter in which it happens for the death of a pet, but there is a mistaken identity via Polyjuice plot point involving secondary characters that definitely needs a dubious consent tag due to them engaging in sex acts without disclosing the deception. That said, it does come through with a happy ending, & the Harry & Pansy friendship is definitely a standout in this.
Draco Falls First Fic Recs
I made this rec list when someone in a server asked for fics in which Draco falls in love with Harry first. I love pining, & this scenario is the perfect setup for it. As a result, I had rather a lot to choose from, but here are ten that made the cut this time.
The Unbearable Burden of Caring & it's sequel Sins and Scars and Shattered Things by Tessa Crowley (E, 22,189)
Thoughts: These fics both ruined me. They were so damn good that I could have wept from the sheer beauty of the prose alone. I swear I must've spent half of them clutching a tissue in anticipation of breaking into ugly sobs every five minutes. They were romantic & beautifully poignant; even the smut was so emotionally charged that I was left spellbound. I highly, highly recommend them both.
you've got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (E, 20,730)
Thoughts: My heart was breaking for Draco before I even got through the summary. This soulmate fic is recced a lot & with good reason. It's still one of my favorites, & I reread it quite often.
Dragon Heartstrings by JET_Playin (E, 23,825)
Thoughts: Admittedly I'm a sucker for soulmate fics, so here's another for you. I liked how the author covered Draco's experience with seeing the red strings that indicated soulmate bonds throughout the years, briefly touching on his early childhood & skipping through his years at Hogwarts before settling into the meat of the story during his & Harry's eighth year at school. This is another one that I've reread several times because I just enjoy it so much each time.
Beating Out of Time by Moss_Man_Writes (E, 73,574)
Thoughts: I was sucked in from the very beginning, & I loved Draco's POV the most. The pining on Draco's part was perfect, & watching Harry fall in love with him was just enchanting.
The Butterfly Kiss by triggerlil (T, 1,998)
Thoughts: This is the shortest of all my recs, but it's by no means less engaging. The ethereal atmosphere of the whole thing left me breathless. Draco as a butterfly was something I'd never seen before, & even though I knew fairies were sometimes viewed as butterflies by unsuspecting mortals, I never would've thought of it as a premise. It was such a gorgeous soulmate AU (couldn't help myself). Draco's pining for Harry throughout was heart-achingly beautiful, too.
The Shape of the World by bixgirl1 (E, 48,276)
Thoughts: Memory loss fics often guarantee a healthy dose of angst, & this is no exception. Harry being the one afflicted did provide the perfect setup for Draco to fall for him first, though. He was probably already a bit in love with him before he ran back into him, to be honest, haha. This is by my favorite Drarry author, & rarely is there ever a time one of her fics doesn't make it onto a rec list of mine.
The Light More Beautiful by firethesound (E, 81,255)
Thoughts: Draco was so clever & creative in this, & the way he felt about Harry took my breath away. He appreciated the exact things about him that make me love Harry so much as a character, & it was probably my favorite thing about this fic. The pining was achingly lovely, the banter & teasing were fun, & the smut was scorching hot. firethesound is one of the most popular Drarry authors to date, & this is probably my favorite fic of hers.
The Lily Spell by pickledghost (E, 86,512)
Thoughts: Okay, fair warning, this is an Omegaverse fic & the author is up front about the fact that Draco's characterization isn't standard to canon or even most of fanon. He was so sweet that I just couldn't get enough of him. It's also an AU in which there was no second war with Voldemort, & I think it had a very believable interpretation of how Harry might've turned out under those circumstances. He was still very much himself at his core, just more confident & self-assured, in my opinion. The slow burn was so well done that I didn't even notice the passage of time while I was glued to the story. It hooked me in & kept me invested from start to finish.
Pop Up Pals by bambimoss (E, 62,447)
Thoughts: I cannot believe I almost forgot to add this fic. I read it twice in a row. That's how much I enjoyed the story. Draco being so lonely broke my fucking heart. Seriously, I think someone would have to be a sociopath if they couldn't empathize with Draco's experiences here. Surprisingly, I laughed a lot at this, & I also cried like a baby at one point. The characterizations were amazing, & the fic was jam-packed with emotion. It was absolutely stunning, & nothing has managed to knock it off of my top ten favorite Drarry fics list despite some very close contenders since the first time I read it.
Wangxian Top Ten Fic Recs
So. I got into MDZS/The Untamed back in February, & I've sort of fallen into a Wangxian black hole from which I am not sure I will ever emerge. Thusly, I've been reading a ton of Wangxian fanfiction lately & have acquired quite a few favorites. Naturally I had to eventually compile a rec list lest I combust with all the barely suppressed love I have for this ship.
Now you lucky people get to reap the benefits of all my hard work because not only have I ranked my top ten, I am also including a bunch of honorable mentions because I'm ridiculous & have no self restraint because I'm such a kind & generous person. Note that the honorable mentions are not ranked & are listed in no particular order.
Fair warning, all of these recs are rated Explicit because I enjoy either a sprinkling or a flood of adult content with my fics. It's far from the focus of many of them, but it's there to varying degrees in each. Also, some of these fics cover some heavy content that may be triggering for some folks, so please do mind the tags & any authors' notes for your own peace of mind.
And with no further adieu, onto the recs!
1. Scars Where They Used to Be by CwythanWind (E, 58,467)
Thoughts: I lost count of how many times I cried in this fic. It was gorgeous in every sense of the word. The characterizations were phenomenal. Wei Ying’s pain was palpable, & the pining was agonizing. Lan Zhan conveying his love through poetry made me sob like a baby twice. The prose was just that beautiful. I can’t recommend this enough. As soon as I finished it I knew it was going to become my favorite Wangxian fic, & nothing has managed to top it yet.
2. Beneath Your Skin by Wrenwolf (E, 147,201)
Thoughts: I was sold on tattoo artist Wei Ying from the word go, haha, but Lan Zhan as an antiques dealer was also surprisingly on point. I go on about characterization a lot in these recs, but I have to tell you that Lan Zhan's here is one of my absolute favorites. I felt like I'd crawled into his skin & was just living there right along with him. And don't get me started on Wei Ying in this fic. I just.. fuck, I cried so much, y'all, & it was incredibly cathartic. Nie Huaisang was my favorite side character in this, & they were an absolute BAMF! You can't go wrong with this one. It's just stunning.
3. Pentimento. by orange_crushed (E, 72,966)
Thoughts: This fic was full of sentiment: regrets, longing, & so, so nostalgic. The love of art was apparent & beautifully on display here, & it added a richness to the whole thing. I cried several times during this from the empathy I had for both Lan Zhan's & Wei Ying's experiences (can you sense a theme with my favorites making me overly emotional? lol). The tone got heavy in places, but it didn't feel graphic or overwhelming at any point for me. The writing was just fantastic, & I've enjoyed a few more of the author's fics since I read this one.
4. i'm gonna drown when you wake up by teenjiism (E, 51,752)
Thoughts: I related to this fic on several levels because both characters are portrayed as neurodivergent in ways that felt very authentic, & I rarely see it done as well as it was here. I have ADHD, & Wei Ying's headspace felt extremely familiar, ha. Lan Zhan & Wei Ying's friendship was so lovely here, too. I adored their easy intimacy & how they were each other's favorite person before Wei Ying even realized he was in love with Lan Zhan. Oh yes, this is another fantastic oblivious Wei Ying/One Brain Cell WWX Strikes Again fic. The pining was perfect, & the overall sweetness of their relationship made this a very floaty/happy reading experience for me, personally.
5. Nothing But Trouble by brooklinegirl (E, 60,318)
Thoughts: Continuing with the theme of One Brain Cell WWX Strikes Again, this was a hilarious & heady fake dating scenario fic. His cluelessness reached new heights in this one, & I about died when he came up with the idea that naturally he & Lan Zhan should practice things like kissing for authenticity's sake. (Oh Wei Ying, you sweet summer child... he kills me; can you tell?) I loved how matter-of-fact Lan Zhan was about the whole thing, too. I laughed a lot during this fic. I even blushed a couple of times, too! Highly enjoyable & a must-read for me.
6. you've ruined my life (by not being mine) by cicer (E, 132,713)
Thoughts: None of the parents in this fic are doing a good job, but hey, they didn't in canon either, in my not-so-humble opinion. It's not what I focused on in the fic, but the tags certainly amused me. I haven't come across many texting fics in MDZS, so this was a pleasant & welcome surprise. The whole fic wasn't done through texting, but their text exchanges were SO CUTE. Lan Zhan texted exactly how I thought he would in this, & it made me laugh every time. The pining was lovely, & when they finally got to see each other in person again in New York I was glued to my computer until I finished the fic. I adored the tone of this one. It was great & just a really fun read.
7. and so my heart beats wildly by lily_winterwood (E, 106,435)
Thoughts: This was one of the most original modern AUs I've seen & featured competitive cultivation that had a Hunger Games meets professional figure-skating competition vibe. It was wild, but it made sense when I read it, I promise. The author was very good at fleshing out their world, & I was fascinated by the concept. Wei Ying once again failed to notice Lan Zhan was in love with him, & his confusion over their interactions never failed to entertain me. I never get tired of their dynamic, y'all, & it was just perfect here. I highly recommend this one.
8. Falling to the Rhythm by Selenay (E, 128,916)
Thoughts: Ever seen So You Think You Can Dance or Strictly Come Dancing? This was basically that but Wangxian! Wei Ying was stunning as a professional dancer being handed a socially awkward, concert violinist Lan Zhan & having to teach him to dance in front of the nation for 12 weeks, & I absolutely loved Lhan Zhan in this. He was precious. The sexual tension during some of the dances was electrifying, & watching them fall in love over the course of the filming of the show was a delight to read.
9. Two Dollar Coffee by marizousbooty (E, 145,286)
Thoughts: I almost fell out of my chair laughing because how do you acquire an accidental sugar daddy?! Well, if you read this fic, you'll find out. One Brain Cell WWX Strikes Again! Yeah, it's one of my favorite AO3 tags, so sue me, lol. The sex was obviously one of the highlights, which I am known to enjoy in a fic (don't judge me, Puritans), but it certainly wasn't the only thing that was well written here. I loved everything about this from beginning to end.
10. things that make it warm by yabakuboi (E, 33,327)
Thoughts: This fic hurt my feelings, not gonna lie. I cried ugly tears at the break up, but I've always had a hard time with reconciliation fics. It was very worth it, however. The way the fic covered their relationship growing & changing over time was very compelling, & a highlight of this for me was Wei Ying's relationship with the Wens, particularly A'Yuan. It was very sweet amongst an ocean of angst, haha. I read this in the span of a couple hours. Just couldn't be torn away. If you're a sucker for angst with a happy ending, then you might want to check this one out.
Honorable Mentions
The Simplest Way Forward by harriet_vane (E, 70,972)
Thoughts: This was so heartwarming I couldn't stop smiling over how adorable it was. Kid fics aren't typically a favorite of mine, but I do enjoy a really good one every now & then. This was one of the best I've read, to be honest. A'Yuan was the sweetest little angel, & he was so cute with Wei Ying spazzing out about every aspect of his care. Lan Zhan being the quiet, responsible source of reason & support was expected but of course always a welcome addition to the mix. Accidental Baby Acquisition isn't a tag I'd seen before, but it's a new favorite when it comes to Wangxian getting to be surprise parents together, haha.
undone (the spreadsheet song) series by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 282,452)
Thoughts: This is a two part series that tells the same story from each love interest’s point of view, a la Rivals by Reiya in the YoI fandom, which is one of my favorites of all time. Similarly, this story is also phenomenally written. I was sucked in immediately & read both fics over the span of like 3 days. I actually read Lan Zhan’s POV fic (the second in the series) in a single day. I was spellbound by the whole thing, couldn’t get enough. I highly recommend this. The characterizations are incredible, & the emotions are so intense I couldn’t help but feel everything right along with each of them as the story progressed.
My only word of caution is that if you have a hard time reading about Wangxian being intimate with people other than each other you might want to skim/skip those sections of the second fic like I had to. The author makes it fairly easy by giving a heads up in the author’s notes at the beginning of each chapter in which that occurs, which I very much appreciated.
Many happy returns. by orange_crushed (E, 25,470)
Thoughts: This fic started with a very serendipitous first meeting between businessman Lan Zhan & Wei Ying, who he mistook for the (non-sexual) escort he'd hired for the evening. I nearly died of mortification right along with poor Lan Zhan when he figured out his mistake. Him confessing this to Wei Ying was painfully awkward & hurt my heart, but fear not! We all know I can't handle a fic without an eventual happy ending, haha. Watching their instant connection develop into something more was such a treat. I loved this fic quite a lot for it being a quicker read for me.
Multiphonics by androkastia (E, 63,705)
Thoughts: Wei Ying was such a lovable disaster in this (as he often is, bless him). Him & Lan Zhan both being in the orchestra was a fun idea, & I loved the author's choice of the harp for Lan Zhan's instrument. I thought it was very different from the usual violin or cello choice I've seen previously but still suited him perfectly. I also loved his overall characterization, down to his fashion sense being tastefully eclectic when his style is usually portrayed as very stuffy & conservative. I really enjoyed this college/university AU, & I've read quite a few of them at this point. So obviously this one stood out.
No Compasses, No Signs by brooklinegirl (E, 36,041)
Thoughts: Ah, finally! A soulmate fic. A Temnurus rec list really wouldn't be complete without at least one. This was a modern AU, which made it especially fun when their soul bond inexplicably manifested as they literally collided with each other on the sidewalk. It was painful watching them fumble for answers to why they suddenly knew things about each other they had no way of knowing only moments before, but the sweet conclusion made it more than worth the temporary angst.
A Haunting Love by Selenay (E, 64,621)
Thoughts: This was another very unique modern with magic AU, & I was nervous because Wei Ying was a ghost haunting Lan Zhan's new house in the quiet little town he moved to in order to write his next novel. Naturally Lan Zhan became ensnared by the mystery surrounding Wei Ying's departure. This had a very romantic feel to it, intensely poetic in a way that I found very alluring. There were even thriller-esque moments towards the end of the story, so it had a bit of everything, all of it equally satisfying to read.
love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360,042)
Thoughts: This was an example of a cool MDZS-specific trope I hadn't seen before, & in it Wei Ying, the infamous Yiling Patriarch, was a cultivator who had achieved immortality (aka, he's OP as fuck but in a fun way). The great sects enlisted his help to win the Sunshot Campaign, & what did he demand in return? Lan Zhan's hand in marriage, of course! It was a fantastic slow burn in which poor Lan Zhan suffered the mortifying ordeal of falling in love with his own husband. An amazing & complex plot, chock-full of angsty goodness.
a place to hide (can't find one near) by yiqie (E, 76,091)
Thoughts: I'm giving y'all a heads up first thing that this fic pulled no punches when it came to the heavier subject matter covered in the tags & author's note. Some of the descriptions were fairly graphic, so please take care of yourselves when considering this one. That said, it was a powerful portrayal of someone suffering from mental health issues & the long & often complicated journey of healing. This one also happened to contain a love story so beautiful that I was brought to tears several times by Lan Zhan's patient & loving care for his most important person, nevermind all the times I cried at the sad parts! I found the emotional cost of those very much worth the payoff of their happy ending, which is why I just had to include this one.
Just You, Just Me (Just Us, Just We) by wincechesters (E, 19,777)
Thoughts: Lan Zhan thought his brother made him an appointment at an acupuncturist & was aghast when he discovered it was for a session with a professional cuddler instead! Enter Wei Ying, gratuitous cuddle therapy, & his usual chaotic charm. Poor Lan Zhan being so overwhelmed while also becoming hopelessly besotted made me laugh, bless his fragile little heart. This was an adorable & light-hearted fic that made me want to go back & reread it almost immediately, haha.
my age has never made me wise by idrilka (E, 63,439)
Thoughts: I absolutely loved this. It was pretty CQL (The Untamed) compliant & told the post-canon story of Wei Ying wandering alone as a rogue cultivator after the events of the show. Of course he was pining after his zhiji the entire time, so when he heard gossip that the Chief Cultivator might be married by summer's end it nearly undid him. The angst was excruciating, but at the same time, One Brain Cell WWX Strikes Again fics somehow always manage to be fun at the same time. I've read several post-canon, wandering Wei Ying stories, & this one was particularly good.
WWX POV Fic Recs
So! As a diehard Wei Ying fan, I thought it would be rather timely to come up with a rec list that showcased him in all his clever, chaotic, charming glory. This mostly some of my more recent reads, as I tried not to duplicate recs from my top ten list and the 10 extra honorable mentions because I couldn't stop myself.
Ahem. Anyway, this is a good mix of stuff. We've got everything from accidental baby acquisition, to case fic, to monsterfucking! (You're welcome, fellow deviants. 😉) Happy WWX day, folks! Now onto the recs!
hold up a mirror by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 36,170)
Thoughts: Another brilliant friends to lovers fic by one of my favorite authors. They wow me every single time, no exaggeration. In this one Wei Ying is lonely. He’s also tired of being set up on blind dates by his concerned brother when he stumbles upon the fact that Lan Zhan is pining for some idiot who has somehow failed to see how great he is. Obviously them pretending to date will solve both of these problems. Jiang Cheng will get off his back, & they’ll be able to make Lan Zhan’s crush jealous enough to realize what he’s missing. Cue me banging my head against my desk while muttering about their joint stupidity, & we have the recipe for yet another fic making it to my favorites list.
(we've got) time for one more by impossibletruths (E, 71,504)
Thoughts: I felt Wei Ying’s longing in my bones in this fic. For the music, for Lan Zhan, for all the things that could’ve been. He was such a good dad to A’Yuan, & their relationship was so touching. I cried several times in this fic, one of which was inspired by Wei Ying & the Jiang siblings trio. The feelings surrounding them & the planning of Yanli’s wedding were so bittersweet with canon lurking in the background. I really loved getting to see it come together differently here, though. Seeing Lan Zhan through Wei Ying’s eyes was also a huge treat here, & I loved their dynamic, angst & all. This was a great fic, highly recommended!
Stumbling Into You by Magnolia822 (E, 39,332)
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. Wei Ying & Lan Zhan’s relationship felt very soft here, & sometimes I love that. It really worked with the whole tone of the fic. I liked Lan Zhan’s characterization in particular, which was neat since the story is told from Wei Ying’s perspective. There was a touch of angst, mostly towards the end, but the fic definitely earned its happy ending tag. I recommend it if you enjoy college AUs & our boys being soft idiots in love.
Tripped at Every Step by brooklinegirl (E, 28,758)
Thoughts: This fic was such a fun read. Wei Ying’s confusion was just delightful, & seeing Lan Zhan shower him with love in every way he knew how was breath-takingly sweet. There was a lot of fun teasing & banter, as well as an incident with a hickey that had me laughing until I cried. Nothing hurt in this, & I appreciated that so much because sometimes you just need a little softness. This did that just right. I highly recommend it.
The Golden Cutsleeve by syrus_jones (E, 77,020)
Thoughts: This is one of the most glorious things I’ve ever read in my life. I am not exaggerating when I say that. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed so hard I cried. This fic was hilarious, sexy, & full of Wei Ying being his chaotic best self. I nearly lost my mind at how hot some of the smut was, & it definitely earned the Crack Taken Seriously & Porn with Feelings tags. I’m not normally a crack fic person, so my ringing endorsement of this fic should not be taken lightly. 10/10, will absolutely read it again. As should you!
so take my hand (take my whole life too) by cicer (E, 92,343)
Thoughts: This is the second accidental baby acquisition fic I read for Wangxian, & A-Yuan is much younger here, not even a year old. There are lots of cute baby moments, including Wei Ying & Lan Zhan figuring out how to be parents together on the fly. Wei Ying had a huge crush on Lan Zhan and was, of course, convinced that Lan Zhan didn’t like him back. He is very, very stupid, but that’s okay because he’s obviously always very wrong about that. I laughed a lot at this fic, but it was also very touching. Not a whole lot of angst here besides the unfortunate reason for A-Yuan being left with them, but those subjects aren’t graphically described or deeply gone into.
In Love and War by Cataclysmic_Calamity (E, 68,321)
Thoughts: This is A/B/O dynamics done right & is easily the best of the trope that I’ve read for this ship. Mind the tags, of course, but I do recommend this if Omegaverse is your thing. Wei Ying’s plan to make himself insufferable didn’t go quite as well as he’d hoped, & before he knew it he was suffering the indignity of falling in love with his own husband. The nerve! Haha. There’s a good amount of angst, & the depth of feeling was gripping. I also enjoyed the side pairing of SangCheng. This author wrote a Hualian fic that’s one of my favorite fanfics period, so that certainly lends itself to the quality of the writing.
Full Moon Blues by Unforth (E, 39,034)
Thoughts: Alright monsterfuckers, this one’s for you. It’s exactly what you’d expect. Wei Ying’s phobia of dogs plays a large role. The depiction of panic attacks is very visceral in this fic, so be warned if that’s an issue for you. The angst is all emotional in nature & does pass eventually, leading to the star of this fic, the fucking. Oh my goodness, the fucking. The smut is so hot it nearly melted my face off! If you like werewolf sex, you’re in for a treat here. But don't let that fool you, their emotional connection is just as satisfying as the smut! I recommend anything by Unforth, to be honest. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by them.
for sale: eboy bathwater, never used by lewdwife (E, 25,123)
Thoughts: This was absolutely hilarious, boarderline Crack Treated Seriously almost. The Sugar Daddy thing is a sort of almost/but not really kind of thing, but I honored the author’s tag anyway. I could feel the convention energy as Wei Ying & the gang geared up for it, & it was a whole lot of fun. The smut was absolutely filthy & very, very good. I definitely recommend this one. It was adorable.
a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke (M, 179,769)
Thoughts: Despite this being rated Mature it actually does contain smut! It’s maybe tame smut compared to most Explicit rated fics, but I’ve always found there to be a very fine line between the two ratings that no one can really agree on. I digress, though. This fic is plot-heavy & plot-driven. It’s an interesting case fic that also features an arranged marriage between Wei Ying & Lan Zhan in order to redeem Wei Ying in the eyes of the cultivation world after the events at Qiongqui Path. The Wens end up being sheltered by the Lans at Cloud Recesses instead of the Burial Mounds as a result. I enjoyed the twists & turns of this, & watching them slowly get closer was as rewarding as always. There was some interesting cultivation theory featured as well.
More Wangxian Faves: Post-Canon & Canon Divergent
This list was made to honor the request in the notes on my WWX recs post from @100percentserenity for some more fics featuring Wei Ying set in canon or canon divergent fics. Now, not all of these are strictly from his POV, but they all feature him at his quick-witted, charming, & hopelessly oblivious best. Canon divergent can be a pretty wide category, so do keep that in mind if you see a rec & think, "This isn't very canonical.." Haha. There are two repeats from my first Wangxian rec list, but they fit the ask & are both excellent & worth mentioning twice! Now, in no particular order, may I recommend:
Far Away You Are by cqlorphan (E, 17,358)
Thoughts: I absolutely loved the idea of the esteemed Hanguan-jun being this not-so-secret purveyor of comfort hugs & heartache advice. Wei Ying’s shock upon finding this out was so funny I couldn’t help but laugh, & my amusement only intensified when he made the scary Yiling Laozu face while asking who broke Lan Zhan’s heart, only to be told it was him who’d done so. I wanted to hug all the Juniors myself. They’re all so very precious. This was a lovely story where very little hurt in the end, & sometimes that’s just nice after the gut punch that canon gives us.
my age has never made me wise by idrilka (E, 63,439)
Thoughts: I absolutely loved this. It was pretty CQL (The Untamed) compliant & told the post-canon story of Wei Ying wandering alone as a rogue cultivator after the events of the show. Of course he was pining after his zhiji the entire time, so when he heard gossip that the Chief Cultivator might be married by summer's end it nearly undid him. The angst was excruciating, but One Brain Cell WWX Strikes Again fics somehow always manage to be fun at the same time. I've read several post-canon, wandering Wei Ying stories, & this one was particularly good.
Not What We May Be by brooklinegirl (E, 29,222)
Thoughts: I love Wei Ying’s cleverness in this. He’s his usual irreverent, chaotic, charming self, & I never get tired of how wonderfully his mind works. The odd phenomenon occurring in the town he’s staying in was an interesting mystery to solve, & I had to laugh when Lan Zhan arrived with the usual Lan Juniors ensemble in tow. Watching them all work together to figure out how to fix the issue while also dealing with the healthy side helping of oblivious Wei Ying & searing sexual tension between him & Lan Zhan was a fun treat.
All Caught Up by brooklinegirl (E, 36,934)
Thoughts: Wei Ying proposing to Lan Zhan to get him out of an arranged marriage he didn’t want is so something he’d do. There is no character more quintessentially chaotic good than Wei Ying. You can’t change my mind. The practice kissing was a lovely regular feature from this author, & my particular favorite thing in this fic was Nie Huaisang’s cameo as their pseudo wedding planner with his classic meddling while insisting he’s useless shenanigans. This was super cute. I liked it a lot.
love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360,042)
Thoughts: This was an example of a cool MDZS-specific trope I hadn't seen before, & in it Wei Ying, the infamous Yiling Patriarch, was a cultivator who had achieved immortality (aka, he's OP as fuck but in a fun way). The great sects enlisted his help to win the Sunshot Campaign, & what did he demand in return? Lan Zhan's hand in marriage, of course! It was a fantastic slow burn in which poor Lan Zhan suffered the mortifying ordeal of falling in love with his own husband. An amazing & complex plot, chock-full of angsty goodness.
Birthday Party by waffles_4_breakfast (E, 100,123)
Thoughts: I loved the idea that Wei Ying would actually get to attend Jin Ling's one month celebration, but I was, of course, still concerned about the continued danger he'd be in. This fic nicely showcased Wei Ying's sharp wit, charm, & ever-present sass. I also loved his dramatics when it came to his interactions with Lan Zhan (and in general, of course, haha), but their sweetness together was ultimately my favorite thing about them. The continued threat to Wei Ying's life & all the plotting surrounding it was interesting, but the best things about this fic were the characters & their bonds with each other.
Fentao-laoshi's Guide to Cut-Sleeve Pleasures by occultings (E, 31,775)
Thoughts: This was set during the Cloud Recesses Study Arc, & it was so, so good. The sexual tension between them was just simmering the entire time, & the idea of them “practicing for marriage” on each other was fucking hilarious. Their banter was top notch, & I absolutely loved Lan Zhan’s nearly overwhelming desperation for Wei Ying, not to mention Wei Ying’s bullshit getting him in over his head (as usual, but this time in a fun way, haha). The feelings were actually very sweet, too. I enjoyed this a lot.
wide enough and wild by impossibletruths (E, 64,120)
Thoughts: I love the tag “Noping Out Of Society With Your Boyfriend And Your 50 Wen Refugees: The Novel”. It made me laugh before I’d even started the fic. While this was set during the time period in which Wei Ying frees the Wen refugees, they didn’t end up in Yiling this time. I won’t get too specific, but they still ended up rebuilding their own little settlement & farming to survive, basically. Lan Zhan found them & decided to stay. The slow burn was so good, & I loved the pining in particular. I cried a couple of times in this. It really was just that good.
your problem as a mountain. by cupofwater (E, 30,989)
Thoughts: It was so cute to see the difference between Wei Ying’s & Nie Huaisang’s fantasies, & Wei Ying’s turning out to be more vanilla & romantic in nature absolutely cracked me up. I nearly hurt myself laughing when Nie Mingjue sent Lan Zhan some of the letters by mistake, & I was delighted by Lan Zhan’s reaction. I won’t spoil it, but the smut was lovely & despite the misunderstanding our boys definitely both got their happy ending, haha.
The Vermilion Ribbon by Unforth (E, 233,368)
Thoughts: This sat on my Marked For Later list on AO3 for the longest time, & I really did myself a disservice by not reading it sooner. It was absolutely fantastic. The world-building, pacing, & intricate plot were all brilliantly done, & Wei Ying being in the Wen clan was nothing like I imagined it was going to be in this. Instead of his core family being the Jiangs, we get Wen Qing in Jiang Yanli’s role & Wen Ning in Jiang Cheng’s. Now I’ll warn you that this got super heavy in some places, so mind those tags & take care of yourselves. Nothing was graphic enough that I had to stop reading, but it didn’t shy away from the serious subject matter it covered either. The whole fic was a real emotional roller coaster, & I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Recent Wangxian Faves
It's been a while since I compiled a general rec list, & I've read a metric ton of fics already this year. Here are ten of my more recently read favorites, some of which I've even read twice already because they were just that good! Y'all know the drill with me and smutty fics, so I hope no one is surprised when all of these are rated Explicit, haha. Sex isn't the theme of all of them, certainly, but it is present in all of them to some degree. Please note that these are listed in no particular order. Now, without further ado, onto the recs!
heart notes by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 92,632)
Thoughts: This fic had the most unique jobs for them that I think I’ve seen yet, & it was wild how well suited they turned out to be. Lan Zhan as a perfumer is one of my new favorite things that I never knew I needed, but here we are. The regret hung so heavy throughout most of this fic, & my heart ached for both of them. As hard as I typically find break up & make up fics to read, this one was 100% worth the angst. The love that went into writing it was so obvious, & it was just beautiful. I reveled in Lan Zhan being a master of his craft, & Wei Ying wanting so badly to help him when he was in trouble & ultimately became his champion when he so desperately needed one brought me to tears. Read this. Plainly put, it’s a masterpiece, & I loved it so much.
as the sun will rise by vespertineflora (E, 125,858)
Thoughts: This fic rocketed into my top five the instant I finished it. Probably even before that, to be completely honest. I love Beauty & the Beast AUs, which this was even though the author just used the Fairy Tale AU tag instead of being more specific. There aren’t really tentacles, but it was fair to include the tags for comparison because the vines work the same way, basically. Well, minus ejaculation. The only one doing that until near the end of the fic is Wei Ying, not that anyone’s complaining, haha.
Do mind the tags because this did get a bit emotionally heavy, particularly if you’re sensitive to Major Character Injury. I thoroughly enjoyed Wei Ying & Lhan Zhan’s characterizations & their dynamic. The writing was superb, & there was an engaging & interesting plot besides the titillating monster-fucking going on. I’ve pretty much read this twice already, & I have zero doubts there are many more rereads in my future. I sincerely urge anyone to give this one a try. It was so, so good!
you'll always know me by anaphoricae (E, 127,006)
Thoughts: Oh, this was so, so good. I’m a delicate flower who wilts during break up & make up fics, & this one was no exception to that rule. It was so gorgeous though. We got glimpses into their past throughout the nonlinear narrative & got to see each of their points of view at different parts of the story. I was particularly enamoured of Lan Zhan’s side of things, but that isn’t too surprising at this point because his pining for Wei Ying is always so relateable to me, ha.
And on that note, his pain was excruciating & deeply felt during the parts that covered their separation. I cried more than once as a result. The awkwardness & tension of their reunion quickly gave way to the magnetic pull between them, & I was practically glued to my seat until I finished this fic. The feelings were all so intense, & I loved every minute of it. Highly, highly recommend it.
Cloud Nine by mssdare (E, 80,064)
Thoughts: I loveloveloved this! I’d seen Wei Ying as a YouTuber before but not Lan Zhan, so it was a very neat thing to see him doing. I didn’t think it would suit him at first, but the author made it work perfectly. The tags were heavy, but the fic was mostly about the aftermath of Wei Ying’s mental breakdown when he came out of treatment & was trying to adjust to life in the real world again. I felt for him so strongly in this, & I appreciated the author’s respectful but unvarnished depiction of living with mental illness, including the often difficult time one can have dealing with the side effects of medication.
All the people who cared about Wei Ying touched my heart in this fic, but of course Lan Zhan was his number one. Lan Zhan’s ASMR videos being so comforting to Wei Ying during his recovery made me want to cry, & the slow burn of their developing relationship was really beautiful, not to mention satisfying. It did of course earn the angst with a happy ending tag, but there wasn’t nearly as much angst as one might expect with the subjects the fic touched on, just in case that’s comforting for anyone.
With No Particular Affection by Chrononautical (E, 92,397)
Thoughts: I love me a good arranged marriage fic, & this one was particularly good for a modern day AU. The idea that Wei Ying must marry Lan Zhan in order to save his family’s business is admittedly a flimsy excuse, but who are we to complain when it gives us stories like this? I’m certainly not going to, haha. The misunderstanding in this one was agonizing due to an overheard conversation, & I literally wanted to cry whenever the title phrase popped up in the fic.
However, the author balanced it with adorable interactions between Wei Ying, A’Yuan, & Lan Zhan, particularly all the fantastic fluffy domesticity after their nuptials. It was definitely a bumpy road on their way to happiness, including some corporate espionage! This fic had a little bit of everything, & I enjoyed everything it had to give us, including a very satisfying (and happy!) ending.
Comfortable Silence by WritersBlock823 (E, 65,072)
Thoughts: Oh, this was such a satisfying read. It’s now easily one of my favorite college/university AUs. I loved the randomness of their first encounter & how it led to them becoming roommates. The angst surrounding Lan Zhan being deaf & how that affected his interpersonal relationships was handled with care & respect by the author, & Wei Ying respecting Lan Zhan’s autonomy & his thoughtfulness when it came to communication between them made me cry a couple times. They both had painful memories to work through, & those moments could be brutal & emotionally exhausting but in a cathartic way, at least in my opinion. The smut was super hot, & I was thrilled with their happy ending. They totally deserved it, but then they always do.
i'm the one for your fire by occultings (E, 42,931)
Thoughts: What can I say? This is yet another gem by occultings. It motivated me to watch the source material for the AU before I allowed myself to read the fic, & I’m so very glad I did. I would’ve enjoyed it without the context, but it undoubtedly let me enjoy the fic just that much more. The concept alone was enough to have me laughing, but the fic delivered on it even more. Lan Zhan’s thoughts were so compelling, particularly the dirty ones, but then again, I’m a huge pervert, so don’t mind me, haha. This fic was sexy & sweet & had a little bit of everything. I highly recommend it, as well as the BL drama/manga that inspired it.
Hanlong by Alexandra_Kreuz & micratus (E, 282,550)
Thoughts: This fic blew my fucking socks off. It was absolutely phenomenal. One of the best Modern Cultivation AUs I’ve read, & that’s saying something because there are some big contenders in that category. I found it very original while still having perfect characterization for all my favorite people. It even convinced me that Wen Ning & Xue Yang was a viable ship! (At least in a modern AU where XY isn’t the absolute worst, heh).
The slow burn was real, but it was so fun seeing everyone come together for the different lecture series held in rotating sect territories each year during their teens. The plot was superb, being both action packed, angsty as fuck, & full of the best romance on a low simmer until it finally flares into full on yearning in adulthood. I loved every single minute, & I very much hope you will, too.
backfire by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 115,570)
Thoughts: Please, please, please mind the tags. If any of them are triggers or squicks for you, I’d advise against this one. That said, I 100% loved it. No notes. The angst was heavy for sure, but the author’s notes clarified anything scary, & the major ouches were mostly off screen &/or not graphic.
Lan Zhan & Mo Xuanyu’s relationship was agonizing for me to read, but it was so obvious that Lan Zhan had been in love with Wei Ying all along (to everyone but Wei Ying, of course). I was glad Mo Xuanyu didn’t consider Lan Zhan’s feelings as infidelity even though Lan Zhan himself struggled with guilt over it. The author included the tag as a courtesy but clarified this in the author’s note. I can’t abide cheating, so I was grateful for it.
The slow burn was real, & I was mad with impatience by the time it actually got to any BDSM between Lan Zhan & Wei Ying. It was totally worth the wait, though. People who haven’t experienced spooky’s writing might be surprised by the depth of emotion in this work when it’s set in a world where BDSM roles are a biological trait, but I promise you this is a feature in ALL of their fics. They’re just saturated with feelings & absolutely gorgeously written. They’re my favorite Wangxian author for a reason, ha.
Caught in 4k series by KizuKatana (E, 184, 553)
Thoughts: This was brilliant & brutal at the same time. The sheer unfairness of the events surrounding Wei Ying’s expulsion from the Jiang sect was appalling. Yu Ziyuan was definitely villainized here, but it made sense & worked for the plot. It made me hate her even more than usual, but that was sort of the point, ha. Wen Qing was the real MVP with the way she went to bat for Wei Ying & basically adopted him into her family. It happened so naturally that no one even had time to question it or think about it too much. I loved his found family, as I always do.
Wei Ying & Lan Zhan butting heads so disastrously at first was rather dismaying after everything else Wei Ying had been through, but the way Lan Zhan fell for him so hard & so completely (as he tends to do, lol) more than made up for it. The social media aspects of this were both engaging & fun. I even enjoyed the extras, & sometimes I don’t bother reading those after a long fic if they don’t hook my interest with the summaries. I can’t recommend this highly enough. This author has quickly become one of my favorites.
LWJ POV Fic Recs
I've done a WWX rec list, so I thought it was about time I made one for Lan Zhan, whom I adore & can never get enough of. The fact that we couldn't see into his head during canon will forever drive me mad, & if this bothers you as much as it does me, boy do I have good news for you! There are not one but two series re-writes from LWJ's POV in this list for your reading pleasure, along with 8 other not-quite-so canon compliant fics that are nevertheless out of this world good. Not gonna lie, people, several of these would make my top 20 if I redid my favorites list today, so I wish you some very happy reading. 😉
he comes in colors by ilip13 (M, 63,596)
Thoughts: The prose was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the author’s writing style, & the way they portrayed how Lan Zhan viewed the world was breathtakingly beautiful. I appreciated the nod in the author’s note about him possibly being read as neurodivergent because I picked up on that, & it felt both familiar & comforting in an I’m-not-so-alone-after-all way. I outright sobbed at some points due to the intensity of the emotions, both Lan Zhan’s & others’.
Wei Ying’s care & consideration for Lan Zhan was very gratifying & lovely to see. The depiction of grief was deeply moving, & the dynamics between all the characters in the story were rich, deep, & very meaningful. This is a new favorite of mine, & I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days after I finished. Fic hangover is very much a possibility with this one, but it will be 100% worth it; I promise you that.
paint smears on sunny days by SnowshadowAO3 (E, 53,808)
Thoughts: Barely anything hurt in this. Like, you could blink past a minimal amount of anxiety. It was mostly an adorable kid fic in which Lan Zhan very quickly found himself falling for his son’s art teacher. Wei Ying being so desperate to spend more time with both of them was heart-meltingly cute, & I loved how he just slotted so easily into their lives it was like he could’ve been there all along. If you like domesticity & gratuitous fluff, then I urge you to give this one a go. I was thoroughly charmed & added it to my favorites list immediately.
The Price of Old Wishes by SoManyJacks (E, 67,793)
Thoughts: This was absolutely fantastic. I crave Lan Zhan POVs, & a fic that was basically canon from his perspective was very much on my wish list. I was so excited when I found it, & I devoured it in a day. The tags that serve as trigger warnings are all referring to events in canon, so there’s not really much that’s going to be a surprise in that respect. If you handled canon, then I think you’d probably be fine to read this fic. I loved the explanation for Lan Zhan’s difficulty with words being selective mutism. It’s the second fic I’ve read with that idea, & I’ve loved both of them. I highly recommend this. It’s definitely been added to my favorites list.
leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143,609)
Thoughts: This was one of the best modern AUs for Wangxian I’ve ever read. It hooked me from the very beginning, & I absolutely melted at how sweet & caring Lan Zhan was when Wei Ying invaded his house in a panic while trying to escape from the dog that was chasing him. His cat Bunny (so cute) was a love muffin & such a comfort in the moment. The dynamics between the neighborhood help squad Lan Zhan contacted to assist with the dog & its overwhelmed owners were also incredibly heartwarming. This fic expanded beyond a love story into a lesson on the importance of community & treating each other with kindness. I can’t recommend this highly enough. I already know it’s going to be a consistent reread for me. It really is just that good.
When the Lights Come Up by brooklinegirl (E, 50,012) Thoughts: This is more Notting Hill inspired/adjacent than strictly following that story, for which I was actually quite grateful, as there were parts of Notting Hill I wouldn’t have cared for or felt fit Wangxian’s dynamic. I loved Lan Zhan’s characterization in this so, so much. Actually, I enjoyed pretty much everyone’s characterization, even down to side characters like Lan Huan & Nie Huaisang. Wangxian’s chemistry in this was spectacular, & the yearning was FELT. I got so anxious & heartbroken during the angsty bits, but as always, brooklinegirl delivered on that happy ending with aplomb. As someone with ADHD, I lamented the lack of chapters for good stopping places, but this is a minor personal quibble & by no means takes away from the overall brilliance of the work.
Where You Fell by Sweet_William (E, 303,010)
Thoughts: The angst was REAL in this fic, y’all. The intensity of Lan Zhan’s feelings is one of my favorite things about him, & that aspect of his character was fully realized here. I cried like a baby several times in this fic. I probably lost count, to be honest. Wei Ying being homeless & begrudgingly allowing Lan Zhan to help him in small ways at first nearly broke my heart, & then it absolutely shattered into a million pieces when the story hit peak angst later on. Tissues were a necessity, but I promise you that it was all worth it in the end. The slow burn was fantastic & so, so satisfying when they finally got their happy ending. They certainly deserved it. It was very overdue!
to hold the wind by androids_fighting93 (E, 62,474)
Thoughts: I was very excited to read another Wangxian soulmates AU, & this one was particularly interesting with the execution. The first time soulmates touched they remembered a scene from their past lives together. This of course offered a wealth of opportunity for angst with the quality of the memories Wangxian would have of theirs, & it delivered exactly that.
The slow burn was torture, & I cried at a couple of different points, particularly at Lan Zhan stifling his own feelings in order to respect Wei Ying’s boundaries regarding not wanting to remember. This fic also made me incandescently angry at Jiang Fengmian & Madam Yu for being such shitty foster parents & utterly failing Wei Ying (not that it was a new feeling, heh). He got his happy ending eventually, thank fuck, because we all know I couldn’t possibly accept anything less.
And He Knew Those Silver Eyes Were Trouble by PieceofLove (E, 311,140)
Thoughts: This is basically a series rewrite of The Untamed from Lan Zhan’s POV, though the author does mix book canon in as well, like the Phoenix Mountain kiss, etc. It’s the second I’ve read, though much longer than the first & not quite as well written but only because the bar was set so high by the first! I very much enjoyed this fic. I binged it within a few days, & that’s not bad for a little over 300k. The author clearly adored Lan Zhan (as they should), so it was fun to get their take on his side of the story. I’d absolutely recommend it as worth reading, even if I still like The Price of Old Wishes best of all the Lan Zhan POV rewrites of the series I've read so far.
Adventures in Pet Sitting by raitala (E, 63,003)
Thoughts: Wei Ying was a surprise extra roommate for Lan Zhan when he showed up to his brother’s apartment to pet sit. This was the first fic I’ve read that featured Lan Zhan as the one who was under the misapprehension that he was straight due compulsory heterosexuality. Usually I see Wei Ying placed in that position, so it was an interesting change of pace.
I loved how awkward things were at first & how it built up over time with the intense sexual tension between Lan Zhan & Wei Ying. One of my favorite scenes pre Lan Zhan’s self realization earned the light dom/sub tag, & I was very jealous of Wei Ying for the experience. That’s all I’ll say so that you can find out for yourself. Nie Huaisang was another highlight of the fic. I loved his meddling & the comic relief he provided amidst the Wangxian shenanigans.
varied my velocity by fantasiavii (E, 58,876)
Thoughts: I adored Lan Zhan in this. I have a soft spot for Lan Zhan POV fics, & this one was really well done. His characterization was just perfect. My heart went out to him for the shame he carried surrounding his sexuality. It made me cry at one point. I also really enjoyed the author’s dance background & how it came through in the fic with Lan Zhan’s love of ballet. The banter & intimate moments between Lan Zhan & Wei Ying as they got closer were absolutely fantastic. I really can’t rec this highly enough. It’s a new favorite.
*Edit: So I goofed & had to replace Scales & Arpeggios in this rec list because I forgot it was an alternating POV fic, not strictly Lan Zhan's. I do promise that the brooklinegirlfic is just as good. She's one of my very favorite Wangxian authors, after all.