Earlier this year, the podcast Fansplaining out out a rec list of exceptions to the "no" in reference to their recent survey where people ranked various tropes and kinks. It inspired me to put together my own little rec list of fics I loved, despite them containing things I normally prefer not to read. I figured posting it now as a tribute to Rectober's past, would be perfect timing. :)
Infidelity
Infidelity between Harry/Draco is a pretty hard limit for me, and I don't generally enjoy infidelity where Harry & Draco cheat on their significant others to be with each other. I have, however, read some really wonderful fics that contain the latter. I do think there are some really beautiful, meaningful, thoughtful things authors can do with the topic.
My Rec:
Collect Your Courage by
Content/Warnings: mild voyeurism, infidelity, switching (but mostly bottom!draco)
See also:
- Stepping Stones by
- The Full Four Seasons by
- Promises to Keep by
Major Character Death
Major Character Death is another one that I can pretty much not tolerate at all. I've slowly began to read some of it, but I still can't handle it in longer fics. Still, I do think there are some really emotions that can be worked through with this trope. (And no, I haven't read Stop All the Clocks, and no, I can't imagine I ever will. MCD is no-go for me for a reason, and longer MCD fic is basically impossible for me to read. However, it's universally recced, so if you're in the mood for MCD, give it a shot.)
My Rec:
Almost Like Song locked to AO3 users by
Content/Warnings: non-linear timeline, bottom!draco, wall!sex, MCD
MPREG
MPREG kind of weird me out, sorry. Plus, as somebody who finds female pregnancy sort of disturbing, and as somebody who's not all that fond of kid!fic, MPREG is usually a no-go for me. Particularly for the H/D pairing, because there is SO MUCH pregnant Draco, and I have a really hard time buying the whole barefoot and pregnant thing fandom often loves for him. I just don't buy my Draco wanting to carry a child inside him. Soz. Of course, there have been some fics that managed to grab me. :)
My Rec:
Some Kind of Wonderful by
Content/Warnings: established relationship, made them do it, bottom!harry, implied bottom!draco
See also:
- If at First you Don’t Succeed... by
- You First, Loser by
Character Bashing
I love the HP characters, and I'm not particularly fond of fics that feel the need to denigrate them to further a story line, especially because it's usually either women or the Weasleys that suffer this fate, and I love them both! However, I was a bit less discerning when I first got into fandom, and there are a couple of fics I read in my early days that I enjoyed, and they've sort of been grandfathered in, despite the bashing. I pretty much won't read it at all now, but here are some fics that I enjoyed despite it.
My Rec:
Building With Worn-Out Tools by
Content/Warnings: slight AU after HBP, ginny bashing, switching
See also:
- Teach Me, Life; Guide Me, Love by
Past Relationship/Breakup!Fic
I am such a baby, but past relationship fics just really rub me the wrong way. First off, there's usually so much angst. And second off, maybe it's because in my own life, I've never seen or experienced anybody breaking up and getting back together with any kind of success, but it's just a really hard sell for me. Plus, I am not a fan of non-linear timelines or flashbacks in media, and those are both pretty popular in this trope. But, it's pretty popular in fic, and I've definitely read some that I loved.
My Rec:
Late Bloomers by
Content/Warnings: epilogue-compliant, past relationship, bottom!harry,
See also:
- Systemic Morality by
- French Blue by
Kid!Fic
Despite loving the Next Gen kids, I've never been a huge fan of kid!fic. Honestly, I'm not much for kids myself, and I think they're very hard to write well. I often find myself bored when reading kid!fic, or I'm rolling my eyes because it's so saccharine and sweet and that is not why I am reading H/D. But like I said, I actually love the next gen kids, and when they're written well in H/D, it can be awesome.
My Rec:
Turn by
Content/Warnings: switching, bottom!harry, bottom!draco, epilogue-compliant and AU, kid!fic
See also:
- Like a Real Family by
Genderplay
At this point, Ive been reading H/D for so long that I've formed some really solid head canons around them, and it can be hard for me to read things that challenge those head canons for this particular pairing. I also have a hard time reading traditional genderbending fics where one of the characters is female, as I'm really not here to 'het' a queer couple, you know? But there have been a few seriously fabulous and hot fics that have played around with gender. (Also, disclaimer that this doesn't really apply to transgender characters, I'm referring here to genderswapping or playing with gender without identifying as a trans person)
My Rec:
Glamour by
Content/Warnings: EWE, gender-bending, bottom!draco
See also:
- L'Inconnu by
2nd Person POV
2nd person is so damn hard to get right, and most of the time I find it too distracting and it totally throws me out of the fic. It's rare that I'll read and seriously enjoy a 2nd person POV, but when it's done well, it can be brilliant.
My Rec:
Rapture by
Content/Warnings: semi-public sex, club!fic, second person POV
Teen-rated fics
I'm here for the smut, let's just be real. I mean, I love well written fic and plot and character development. I've read hundreds of thousands of words in fic, but when I put in that effort, I want there to be some kind of sexy release after the build-up. I don't read much Teen rated fic, and I read even less long teen rated fic, but it has been known to happen on occasion...
My Rec:
One Night at the Leaky by
Warnings/Content: Post Hogwarts, drinking games, Truth or Dare, drunkenness
See also:
- Expectations (And Their Undoing) by
- Catfished by
Rape/Non-Con
I don't mind me a good bit of dub-con, but rape/non-con is such a hard subject, I've found it difficult for me to read, especially if it involved Harry or Draco. But it can also be really powerful and important, and when it's done right, it can make for a very moving fic.
My Rec:
As Souls From Bodies Steal by
Content/Warnings: mentions of past rape/non-con, minor character death, implied bottom!harry
Polyamory (Involving my OTP)
I love reading threesome!fics (particularly as some of my fav kinks work best with at least 3 people...) but I'm much more particular when it comes to my OTP. I tend not to really enjoy reading H/D with a third partner, especially if it's a more permanent addition to their relationship. I've found I'm most susceptible to Harry/Draco/Teddy, which is probably only because LQ writes them so well. :)
My Rec:
Making an Entrance by
Content/Warnings: established relationship, dirty talk, threesome, m/m/m, bottom!teddy, spitroasting, sofa!sex, exhibitionism, voyeurism
Harry/OMC
I'm so particular about Harry, and for some reason, I really much prefer when Harry hasn't had much experience with men before Draco. Or if he has, that it's sort of vague and non-explicit and definitely not like, seriously boyfriends. Kind of a weird quirk, but it can make me wilt a bit when I read it. But, of course, when the fic is good enough, I can get behind it. :)
My Rec:
All Our Secrets Laid Bare
Author:
Content/Warnings: auror!fic, switching, bottom!harry, bottom!draco, first time, tattoo!kink
See also:
- Shine, Even in the Darkness by
So that’s my list! Do you have an exception recs of your own?
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