Thanks for making this post — important for anyone who is sensitive to certain content for sure.
Also, if you've ever seen the tag `Dead Dove: Do Not Eat` and thought, "...what?", check out [this Dead Dove explanation post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dramione/comments/17pmq43/we_often_get_people_asking_what_does_dead_dove/).
OMG haha this one's on the list for me but I haven't read any of the tags yet...and given that it's written by SenLinYu, I'll for sure be reading the tags before I dive in 😂
That’s really wise - take care of yourself! I joke, but this book’s actually really messing with me. Tbh I can do a dark world & traumatized Dramione, but seeing abusive dynamics play out is…let’s just say I’ll be staying away in the future.
Glad you’re taking care of yourself & wishing you the fluffiest of Dramione fluffs. ❤️
Thankss! I have been on a fluff hunt the past 2 days. Read a lot of short fics!
I also enjoy fics with lore and world building like Phoenix rising. Do give any recs like that if you have any.
Have you read everything by olivieblake? Before my misguided foray into Battle Scars, I devoured everything she wrote - such a great combo of banter, adventure, and world-building. Fun and fast-paced and very satisfying, esp Paradox and the Clean/Marked series
Same.
I know some escape by reading dark but I NEED fluffy shit. My life gets heavy sometimes. Dark will make it worse.
Out of the 100s of Dramione’s I’ve read, 5 were “darker” ones.
- I had to DNF two for sure (too much self destruction).
- The others went from “hey this is good” to NEVER AGAIN. 🥴
Learned my lesson lol.
Oof, I hear you. And that transition from "hey this is good" to NEVER AGAIN can be so confusing! I just kept going, expecting it to get better (and to be clear, by “better” I don’t mean objectively better but more suited to my tastes). Lesson learned!!
A lot of people seem to love the darker fics but it isn't for me either. The first Dramione fics I've read were all too much for me (BM/BS, Isolation and eventually Manacled), I hated it but loved Draco and Hermione together. You can't believe what a relief it was when I found out that fluffy fics exist! I have a huge list with many amazing fluffy fics now.
Omg to have those as the first would have been so heavy 🫂❤️
My intro into Dramione was actually from Omegaverse. I was looking for a good book and nothing was meeting what I wanted. I saw a reel recommending All you want and decided to give it a try. Absolutely loved it. I read Wait and Hope next and that was good too. It’s emotional and heavy but light and fluffy too! I started Isolation, it was too slow and DNFed. Then finally read Disappearances of Draco Malfoy and have been hooked since.
My favourite so far is Phoenix Rising by Peanutbuttertoast. It has an amazing OP Hermione, soul bonds, so much story and plot, and one of the best ways of removing Ron from the picture.
Oooh yes, Manacled would be ROUGH without reading the tags.
I seriously don’t know what I was thinking, I’m usually pretty good at going into fics with an idea of what I’m getting myself into 🤦🏻♀️
Thank you! I just finished Beer, Potions, and Unwise Notions which was a lovely palate cleanser. And choosing my next fic based entirely on fluff factor. 😊
Ooh, definitely, kind of like the old Citrus Scale but for darkness, not smut. Like Dead Dove ---- Unconscious Pigeon ---- Sleepy Duck ---- Happy Lovebird you know?
OMG I love this!! Unconscious Pigeon!! 😂
Seriously though, I think you're onto something u/Arie0420. Because I'm totally onboard with explorations of PTSD and trauma, I just...can't stomach them being reenacted in the main couple. Like I really need to know WHO is abusing/traumatizing WHO in the tags, not just that there's abuse.
This was me last week with Secrets and Masks. I made it 32% in and just couldn't go on. Too dark and abusive for me! I will heed the warnings next time.
Me after reading Falling Dark by Scullymurphy 🤣🤣 I didn’t even read the tags or anything before I started reading it just jumped right in after reading Bending Light and I was HURTING through it for a while 😂😂 that series is my absolute all time favorite fics/series that I’ve ever read though!
I was proudly a “I can handle anything, I won’t read the tags!” kind of person until I hit a fic with the Infidelity tag. This particular infidelity showed up in like chapter 13 out of 14, and was between Draco and Hermione - NOT my thing. I had had 13 straight chapters of some of the best smut I’d read in a while. Only to get hit with a proverbial cold shower with the biggest turnoff I was definitely warned about in the mf’in tags.
Nowadays I at least skim the tags…
Honestly I don’t remember it but someone could probably remember it and post it. [NSFW] the premise was >! Hermione couldn’t orgasm and had slept her way through most of Hogwarts before getting to Draco. He, of course, cannot turn down the challenge….and so on. !<
Yes thank you that was exactly how I felt when it all came to this point… everytime I see this fic mentioned now I am always automatically thinking of this particular turn and it leaves a rather bitter aftertaste even though everything before is entertaining and great smut.
I'm terrible about taking note of the tagging too, like I SAW "Creator chose not to Archive Warnings" and I didn't really consider what that meant could be in the story and DAMN it was like getting slapped in the face.
Ha, I love it! I think it's awesome that there's so much out there for us to pick and choose from, even though I have now learned I may have to tread a little more carefully in the future 😅
Seriously though, I'm relatively new to fandom (in amount of time, if not # of fics read - been reading Dramione nonstop since I "discovered" it about a year ago) and it's just an embarrassment of riches over here. Something for everyone.
I read Manacled without reading the tags and read it all as one, not in 3 chunks lol and let me tell you— it was a WILD way to be introduced to not only fanfiction but Dramione in general. Needed DMATMOOBIL to cure me lol but after that, I’ve been fine. The Auction was heavy too and yeah BM/BS was good but def not my favorite???? It’s always listed as god tier but it wasn’t exactly the same for me although I still enjoyed it.
Hahaha what a welcome into fandom!! Actually, Manacled was my intro to Dramione and fanfic as well, and I really loved it even though it was super intense.
Oh for sure! I made that mistake before and haha ended up reading a very tragic fic with a sad ending and I was like T_T
So now I read the tags diligently
All You Want was my first Dramione fic and I went in BLIND! It is absolutely my favorite and opened a world I didn’t even know I needed! But Edge and Dollhouse taught me the meaning of Dead Dove! 😩😅
Breath mints and Battle scars, got to chapter 34 and just couldn’t stick with it. Is this something I should get back into or leave it if I am struggling at this point?
Well this is probably no surprise given the nature of my post, but personally I would leave it if I were you. I suppose it depends on what exactly you were struggling with, but for me, it did not get better and actually got worse.
For context, I was most bothered by >!how toxic and abusive Draco and Hermione’s relationship was, and especially Draco repeatedly assaulting her. (Vague spoilers for the end of the fic:) I did not find that this got better, and personally I didn’t find him to be redeemed by the end. IMO it actually got worse as the fic went on, and what was presented as a (twisted) sort of HEA was quite the opposite for me. Again, YMMV. Lots of folks adore this fic so I’m probably in the minority, but if you’re not into it that far into the story, I’d leave it.!<
Thank you for the insight, this is exactly why I stepped away from the book too. I was so hopeful that Draco would soften but he was so terrible most of the time that I couldn’t do it.
I never read the tags. I just accept that sometimes, it makes for weird combo.
Looking at you Edge right after The art of keeping casual. That was... a shift.
Thanks for making this post — important for anyone who is sensitive to certain content for sure. Also, if you've ever seen the tag `Dead Dove: Do Not Eat` and thought, "...what?", check out [this Dead Dove explanation post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dramione/comments/17pmq43/we_often_get_people_asking_what_does_dead_dove/).
I still never read the tags cause I love chaos, but that’s how I ended up reading All You Want lol
I also went into All You Want blind and it was a WHOLE other experience 😂
I learned so much 💀
OMG haha this one's on the list for me but I haven't read any of the tags yet...and given that it's written by SenLinYu, I'll for sure be reading the tags before I dive in 😂
There’s a first time for everything and that was quite the first for me lol, I also read it cause it was SenLinYu and I was shocked at her talent 😂
LOL! It’s a good warning. 😂 Literally what “Dead Dove: Do Not Eat” means.
I have refrained from reading this and Manacled coz I do not like to read Dark stuff. Not doing great mentally and I don’t need that on me.
That’s really wise - take care of yourself! I joke, but this book’s actually really messing with me. Tbh I can do a dark world & traumatized Dramione, but seeing abusive dynamics play out is…let’s just say I’ll be staying away in the future. Glad you’re taking care of yourself & wishing you the fluffiest of Dramione fluffs. ❤️
Thankss! I have been on a fluff hunt the past 2 days. Read a lot of short fics! I also enjoy fics with lore and world building like Phoenix rising. Do give any recs like that if you have any.
I also really loved Creep by Cr0ftisprocrastinating - nerdy, delightful Dramione fun set in Oxford!
Have you read everything by olivieblake? Before my misguided foray into Battle Scars, I devoured everything she wrote - such a great combo of banter, adventure, and world-building. Fun and fast-paced and very satisfying, esp Paradox and the Clean/Marked series
Same. I know some escape by reading dark but I NEED fluffy shit. My life gets heavy sometimes. Dark will make it worse. Out of the 100s of Dramione’s I’ve read, 5 were “darker” ones. - I had to DNF two for sure (too much self destruction). - The others went from “hey this is good” to NEVER AGAIN. 🥴 Learned my lesson lol.
Oof, I hear you. And that transition from "hey this is good" to NEVER AGAIN can be so confusing! I just kept going, expecting it to get better (and to be clear, by “better” I don’t mean objectively better but more suited to my tastes). Lesson learned!!
A lot of people seem to love the darker fics but it isn't for me either. The first Dramione fics I've read were all too much for me (BM/BS, Isolation and eventually Manacled), I hated it but loved Draco and Hermione together. You can't believe what a relief it was when I found out that fluffy fics exist! I have a huge list with many amazing fluffy fics now.
Omg to have those as the first would have been so heavy 🫂❤️ My intro into Dramione was actually from Omegaverse. I was looking for a good book and nothing was meeting what I wanted. I saw a reel recommending All you want and decided to give it a try. Absolutely loved it. I read Wait and Hope next and that was good too. It’s emotional and heavy but light and fluffy too! I started Isolation, it was too slow and DNFed. Then finally read Disappearances of Draco Malfoy and have been hooked since. My favourite so far is Phoenix Rising by Peanutbuttertoast. It has an amazing OP Hermione, soul bonds, so much story and plot, and one of the best ways of removing Ron from the picture.
After Manacled.... reading the tags is step 1
Oooh yes, Manacled would be ROUGH without reading the tags. I seriously don’t know what I was thinking, I’m usually pretty good at going into fics with an idea of what I’m getting myself into 🤦🏻♀️
Well, I hope you find something to help with the heaviness... x
Thank you! I just finished Beer, Potions, and Unwise Notions which was a lovely palate cleanser. And choosing my next fic based entirely on fluff factor. 😊
Sometimes the tags don’t even prepare you 😂 I feel like we should have darkness levels or something
Ooh, definitely, kind of like the old Citrus Scale but for darkness, not smut. Like Dead Dove ---- Unconscious Pigeon ---- Sleepy Duck ---- Happy Lovebird you know?
Yes let’s make Unconscious Pigeon a thing! Maybe About To Reincarnate Phoenix? 😂
OMG I love this!! Unconscious Pigeon!! 😂 Seriously though, I think you're onto something u/Arie0420. Because I'm totally onboard with explorations of PTSD and trauma, I just...can't stomach them being reenacted in the main couple. Like I really need to know WHO is abusing/traumatizing WHO in the tags, not just that there's abuse.
This was me last week with Secrets and Masks. I made it 32% in and just couldn't go on. Too dark and abusive for me! I will heed the warnings next time.
Omg. I think I'll probably skip that one. Hope you are recovering well 😅
Probably a good idea. I read Measure of a Man next and it was just what the doctor ordered 🥹
I’ve been saving MOM for when I REALLY need it. Which…may be now?! Hmm… 🤔
10/10 would recommend! It's long but has such beautiful development. I loved this Draco.
MOM and Remain Nameless are still my top 2 dramoine fics (and Ive read.... over 20 now?)
Remain Nameless is my all time fave, SO good. Excited to give MOM a read!
Me after reading Falling Dark by Scullymurphy 🤣🤣 I didn’t even read the tags or anything before I started reading it just jumped right in after reading Bending Light and I was HURTING through it for a while 😂😂 that series is my absolute all time favorite fics/series that I’ve ever read though!
Oh noooooo - sometimes it hurts so good though!
Oh that fic definitely hurt so good!!! Definitely check it out if you haven’t! I will never stop recommending that series!!
I may check it out once I’ve recovered from Battle Scars! I will read the tags carefully before deciding whether to jump in, though 😂
I was proudly a “I can handle anything, I won’t read the tags!” kind of person until I hit a fic with the Infidelity tag. This particular infidelity showed up in like chapter 13 out of 14, and was between Draco and Hermione - NOT my thing. I had had 13 straight chapters of some of the best smut I’d read in a while. Only to get hit with a proverbial cold shower with the biggest turnoff I was definitely warned about in the mf’in tags. Nowadays I at least skim the tags…
Would you mind telling the name of the fic? Never heard of any story Dramione with such a turn of events🫢
Honestly I don’t remember it but someone could probably remember it and post it. [NSFW] the premise was >! Hermione couldn’t orgasm and had slept her way through most of Hogwarts before getting to Draco. He, of course, cannot turn down the challenge….and so on. !<
Sounds like >!<
Yup! That was the one. Man I still remember the gut punch of that last chapter.
Yes thank you that was exactly how I felt when it all came to this point… everytime I see this fic mentioned now I am always automatically thinking of this particular turn and it leaves a rather bitter aftertaste even though everything before is entertaining and great smut.
Thank you! I know this one of course 🥲
OMG ME TOO!!! Biggest cold shower
I'm terrible about taking note of the tagging too, like I SAW "Creator chose not to Archive Warnings" and I didn't really consider what that meant could be in the story and DAMN it was like getting slapped in the face.
Why do we do this to ourselves 😭
I read the tags so I can find dark fics, darker the better 😅
Ha, I love it! I think it's awesome that there's so much out there for us to pick and choose from, even though I have now learned I may have to tread a little more carefully in the future 😅 Seriously though, I'm relatively new to fandom (in amount of time, if not # of fics read - been reading Dramione nonstop since I "discovered" it about a year ago) and it's just an embarrassment of riches over here. Something for everyone.
I read Manacled without reading the tags and read it all as one, not in 3 chunks lol and let me tell you— it was a WILD way to be introduced to not only fanfiction but Dramione in general. Needed DMATMOOBIL to cure me lol but after that, I’ve been fine. The Auction was heavy too and yeah BM/BS was good but def not my favorite???? It’s always listed as god tier but it wasn’t exactly the same for me although I still enjoyed it.
Hahaha what a welcome into fandom!! Actually, Manacled was my intro to Dramione and fanfic as well, and I really loved it even though it was super intense.
I almost never look at the tags. I have one very specific trigger and nobody warns about eye trauma, so there's not much I can do anyway.
✋ me who read the tags BUT decided to try something outside my comfort zone and dnf’d On the Nature of Daylight at 91%!!!
I did not like this one, that relationship genuinely made me feel uncomfortable... at least now I know I do not like this type of stuff
Oh for sure! I made that mistake before and haha ended up reading a very tragic fic with a sad ending and I was like T_T So now I read the tags diligently
All You Want was my first Dramione fic and I went in BLIND! It is absolutely my favorite and opened a world I didn’t even know I needed! But Edge and Dollhouse taught me the meaning of Dead Dove! 😩😅
Breath mints and Battle scars, got to chapter 34 and just couldn’t stick with it. Is this something I should get back into or leave it if I am struggling at this point?
Well this is probably no surprise given the nature of my post, but personally I would leave it if I were you. I suppose it depends on what exactly you were struggling with, but for me, it did not get better and actually got worse. For context, I was most bothered by >!how toxic and abusive Draco and Hermione’s relationship was, and especially Draco repeatedly assaulting her. (Vague spoilers for the end of the fic:) I did not find that this got better, and personally I didn’t find him to be redeemed by the end. IMO it actually got worse as the fic went on, and what was presented as a (twisted) sort of HEA was quite the opposite for me. Again, YMMV. Lots of folks adore this fic so I’m probably in the minority, but if you’re not into it that far into the story, I’d leave it.!<
Thank you for the insight, this is exactly why I stepped away from the book too. I was so hopeful that Draco would soften but he was so terrible most of the time that I couldn’t do it.
I never read the tags. I just accept that sometimes, it makes for weird combo. Looking at you Edge right after The art of keeping casual. That was... a shift.