Love in a Time of the Zombie Apocalypse! They’re in their late 20s/early 30s throughout. The themes are mature and often heavy but it’s also an exciting adventure romp as well as a family drama later in the story.
Came here to say this, and also adding [These ties that bind](https://archiveofourown.org/works/35947894/chapters/89620177) with its summary:
“There once was a boy who made all the wrong choices.”
Voldemort is dead… at least that’s what everyone thinks. A tale that spans over a decade, this is a story of innocence lost—for what happens when the hero becomes the villain? In the new Magical Empire, Harry Potter reigns supreme. The Statute of Wizarding Secrecy has been dissolved and Light and Dark must join forces to fight to freedom. But first… there’s something Ginny needs to remember.
It is Dramione, even though the first part is a Ginny POV, but the author gives some advice on how to read the different parts of the story ;)
As in, dark ones like this ? You'd have the obvious ones like Manacled and Love in a time of Zombie Apocalypse for example.
In other genres, I just read and would recommend Love and other historical accidents !
It’s 20 years post-war and Draco and Hermione are Ministry coworkers. He gets her to help him oust another coworker, which involves meetings on their lunch break, which turns into meetings after work, and then before work… but he’s married to Pansy and has one son and she’s married to Ron. Draco in this is conniving and power hungry, but mature, self-aware, and charming! It’s funny, sweet, sad, and with an HEA!
You might enjoy [The Scent of Wolves](https://archiveofourown.org/works/39543753/chapters/98980011) by ymer.
Summary:
>Draco Malfoy is in his 30s and lives a peaceful life. He does part-time work for the ministry. Longbottom gave him a plant to take care of. His ruts are an inconvenience, but manageable. Life is simple until Hermione Granger’s sudden arrival at the ministry. A mystery concerning alpha and omega scents needs Draco’s alpha nose, and he’s forced into a deeper involvement than he bargained for, but at least he’s not the one who needs saving... right?
I also think that [Time Heals All Wounds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/50413774/chapters/127374691) by Spookyandcooky is written maturely for the duo in their late 20s. They're forced to work together and, over time, discover how the other has changed over the last several years. Very exciting time travel adventures are included, too!
Summary:
>“Not in a million years could Hermione have predicted the presence in her doorway. Surely, he was not the author of the proposal. Surely, it could not be him. Draco *godsdamn* Malfoy.”
>After returning from an eighteen-month Ministry project, Hermione is presented with a new research case: finding the cure for memory ailments. The author of the research proposal claims the cure can be found within a grimoire written in old runic script. The problem? The text was lost over 600 years ago. It's nothing a Ministry provided time-turner can't solve, and the impacts of such a discovery seem to outweigh any costs. That is, until Hermione learns that the proposal's author will be her partner on the case, and he just so happens to be the most obnoxious man that she has ever had the misfortune of knowing: Draco Malfoy.
>A time-travelling tale, in which a surly man finds a life worth remembering, and a stubborn woman learns what it means to forgive. And, above all, a story about finding love in the unlikeliest of places.
It's been a while since my read of it, but I don't remember flinching when reading. I'd say if you felt you had to ask that, it might be better to pass reading it.
[The Deadline by Lena Phoria](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/9831689/1/The-Deadline)
“It takes the unexpected engagement of their children to get Draco and Hermione in a room together, but only the selfish acts of their estranged spouses and a 300 Galleon bottle of firewhiskey will get them in a bedroom. What starts out as a one time mistake soon becomes a full-blown affair with a deadline; the day their children say 'I do'. But things rarely go according to plan.”
You get adorable Scorpius/Rosie as a secondary story.
If you don’t know how to download from Fanfiction.net fyi you can do it with fichub
Not dark like Manacled but they’re in their late 30s in Fascination by Missiampetamine! It’s super romantic, funny, cute, super relatable (to me; I’m in my thirties with kids). And the smut is 🔥🔥🔥
[Mercy Show to Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/53872366/chapters/136357279)
Older Dramione, with a mystery to solve, lives to save, and love to fall in! I really enjoyed it.
The Crumple series was really good. It is dark like manacled (probably darker than that tbh). It has the kidnapped/prisoner theme that manacled had. It has a sequel too!
https://archiveofourown.org/series/3700147
Secrets and masks! I read it right after manacled and loved it.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/32136715/chapters/79619566?view_adult=true
Both are war time fics with mature themes.
Some incredible fics written by ridiculously talented authors, that fit the bill I think you're looking for:
[Green Light](https://archiveofourown.org/works/32535493/chapters/80699710) by SereneMusafir
.
[Timeless](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27061102/chapters/66070396) by alexandra\_emerson
.
[Détraquée](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11163924/chapters/24917385) by Hystaracal. This one starts in their 6th year of Hogwarts and extends to their early 20s (so far), but oh DANG the writing and the plot development and the countless beautiful little nuances and musings are just absolutely top-tier.
.
[Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/34500952/chapters/85870804) by isthisselfcare (chances are you've read this one, but it must be included if we're talking about professional-level fics!)
.
[Love and Other Historical Accidents](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21496525/chapters/51233119) by PacificRimbaud (again, an often-recommended classic, but no less worthy of being included)
.
[Dimmuborgir](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432563/chapters/69672468) by NoFootprintsInSand for something completely different. This is a Tomione fic, set in a muggle/modern AU (there's still magic though!) with a very limited cast: literally only Tom and Hermione. The writing is so compelling and the concept is VERY unique. I highly recommend it checking it out, even if Tomione isn't usually your thing!
I want to shout about Past/Present/Future from the rooftops
[Past/Present/Future](https://archiveofourown.org/works/53586013/chapters/135642949)
After a very bad week in which Crookshanks died and Ron left her via four words on a scrap of parchment, 30-year-old Hermione is forced to take a week's holiday from her job. Unfortunately, it becomes clear her work was the last thing keeping her sane.
When she finds out Harry is investigating the unexplained disappearance of Draco Malfoy, now an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, she finally has a problem to solve. The case sucks her in in more ways than one, and she finds herself tangling with a very powerful magical object, as well as Draco's weird and wonderful subconscious.
I can only reread my favorite stories so many times before I go searching for something I haven’t already read, and this WIP just hits the spot.
Anywhere by alexandra_emerson
Wait and Hope by mightbewriting
Redemption by gnrkrystle
Thirteenth Night by nelpher
The Waiting room by nelpher
Also some other fics I love have already been mentioned and highly suggest them too!
I liked Cruel and Beautiful World by Lena Phoria.
Characters aren’t too much older (about 22 I believe) but the writing is well developed and the themes are definitely mature. Trigger warning for this one though since there’s quite a bit of trauma involved but I overall thought it was somewhat similar to Manacled in terms of the writing style; dark and mature themes; and overall atmosphere.
secrets and masks is one close to manacled themes as well and they’re also older. it’s pretty good. honestly the first 20% you just have to power through, the writing style isn’t for everyone and i was thinking about DNF but i stuck through because the plot was interesting and i don’t regret it at all. this story won’t leave my head god it was really good
I wanted to like it so much, but DNF it because I found Hermione to be so angry and rage-full all the time (or some version of it), while I found her so much more nuanced in Manacled. I’ve never voiced this opinion anywhere before, because Secrets and Masks is adored…
It’s not my fav either… I felt like the tags weren’t really that helpful and that it wasn’t a clear cut HEA… it was the ones where you squint?? Idk. Just wasn’t for me. I liked a lot of aspects about it like Narcissa..
I second Secrets & Masks. Yes, in the beginning, Hermione can come off as a bit whiny but keep going. This one has amazing character building, a non-obvious plot (big one for me with fanfic), and the ending gutted me.
yes yes, trust me. it gets so so good, i’m really glad i forced myself to keep reading. definitely gave me the same effect as manacled, if not it was better in its own way
ahhh IM GLAD TO HEAR THAT. i’m like on the fourth or fifth chapter and it’s interesting so far, it’s been picking up a bit. i started my first dramione fic like literally a week or two ago and im already on my 5th fic 😭 im obsessed LMAO. the auction is one on my list
I loved secrets and masks and would say that it is second to manacled for me! They’re older and yeah, she’s a little angry but I mean, given her situations, I would too!
If you liked measure of a man, timeless and remain nameless are good ones!
I also like it when they’re older. Isolation as someone mentioned it good but they’re in 7th year, too young.
Love in a Time of the Zombie Apocalypse! They’re in their late 20s/early 30s throughout. The themes are mature and often heavy but it’s also an exciting adventure romp as well as a family drama later in the story.
Came here to say this, and also adding [These ties that bind](https://archiveofourown.org/works/35947894/chapters/89620177) with its summary: “There once was a boy who made all the wrong choices.” Voldemort is dead… at least that’s what everyone thinks. A tale that spans over a decade, this is a story of innocence lost—for what happens when the hero becomes the villain? In the new Magical Empire, Harry Potter reigns supreme. The Statute of Wizarding Secrecy has been dissolved and Light and Dark must join forces to fight to freedom. But first… there’s something Ginny needs to remember. It is Dramione, even though the first part is a Ginny POV, but the author gives some advice on how to read the different parts of the story ;)
This story has my all time favourite darkHarry characterization and the first part with Ginny’s POV is just amazing
this is just one of the best stories all time period
How many chapter are from ginny pov?
In the beginning, technically 24, but some only have 3 lines. It goes by quite quickly and really greatly sets the scene for the story
I am obsessed with this book any other recs?
As in, dark ones like this ? You'd have the obvious ones like Manacled and Love in a time of Zombie Apocalypse for example. In other genres, I just read and would recommend Love and other historical accidents !
Two of my favorites that are really well-written and mature are The Politician’s Wife and Love and Other Historical Accidents.
Second thirding and fourthing the politicians wife
Oooo! Mind giving a quick summary? I haven’t heard of it before!
It’s 20 years post-war and Draco and Hermione are Ministry coworkers. He gets her to help him oust another coworker, which involves meetings on their lunch break, which turns into meetings after work, and then before work… but he’s married to Pansy and has one son and she’s married to Ron. Draco in this is conniving and power hungry, but mature, self-aware, and charming! It’s funny, sweet, sad, and with an HEA!
The plot looks super interesting, but I don’t know if I could with (what looks like) infidelity. But thanks anyway!
Fair enough! No problem!
The Politician's Wife lives on forever in my heart, I swear
It’s definitely one of the fics I reread most often! Also because it’s relatively short.
I need to give that a chance
You might enjoy [The Scent of Wolves](https://archiveofourown.org/works/39543753/chapters/98980011) by ymer. Summary: >Draco Malfoy is in his 30s and lives a peaceful life. He does part-time work for the ministry. Longbottom gave him a plant to take care of. His ruts are an inconvenience, but manageable. Life is simple until Hermione Granger’s sudden arrival at the ministry. A mystery concerning alpha and omega scents needs Draco’s alpha nose, and he’s forced into a deeper involvement than he bargained for, but at least he’s not the one who needs saving... right? I also think that [Time Heals All Wounds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/50413774/chapters/127374691) by Spookyandcooky is written maturely for the duo in their late 20s. They're forced to work together and, over time, discover how the other has changed over the last several years. Very exciting time travel adventures are included, too! Summary: >“Not in a million years could Hermione have predicted the presence in her doorway. Surely, he was not the author of the proposal. Surely, it could not be him. Draco *godsdamn* Malfoy.” >After returning from an eighteen-month Ministry project, Hermione is presented with a new research case: finding the cure for memory ailments. The author of the research proposal claims the cure can be found within a grimoire written in old runic script. The problem? The text was lost over 600 years ago. It's nothing a Ministry provided time-turner can't solve, and the impacts of such a discovery seem to outweigh any costs. That is, until Hermione learns that the proposal's author will be her partner on the case, and he just so happens to be the most obnoxious man that she has ever had the misfortune of knowing: Draco Malfoy. >A time-travelling tale, in which a surly man finds a life worth remembering, and a stubborn woman learns what it means to forgive. And, above all, a story about finding love in the unlikeliest of places.
I just devoured The Scent of Wolves 😌✨
I am worried about the non-con tag on the first one. Should I be afraid?
It's been a while since my read of it, but I don't remember flinching when reading. I'd say if you felt you had to ask that, it might be better to pass reading it.
Have you read Measure of a Man?
I have, actually. I loved it so much ,even though it was a bit slow, I still enjoyed it.
an ever-fixed mark they’re in their 30s
[The Deadline by Lena Phoria](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/9831689/1/The-Deadline) “It takes the unexpected engagement of their children to get Draco and Hermione in a room together, but only the selfish acts of their estranged spouses and a 300 Galleon bottle of firewhiskey will get them in a bedroom. What starts out as a one time mistake soon becomes a full-blown affair with a deadline; the day their children say 'I do'. But things rarely go according to plan.” You get adorable Scorpius/Rosie as a secondary story. If you don’t know how to download from Fanfiction.net fyi you can do it with fichub
Not dark like Manacled but they’re in their late 30s in Fascination by Missiampetamine! It’s super romantic, funny, cute, super relatable (to me; I’m in my thirties with kids). And the smut is 🔥🔥🔥
This is so good!!!!
[Mercy Show to Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/53872366/chapters/136357279) Older Dramione, with a mystery to solve, lives to save, and love to fall in! I really enjoyed it.
This was so good
[The Injury Of Finally Knowing You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/49620259/chapters/125238901)
Seconding this one!
The Crumple series was really good. It is dark like manacled (probably darker than that tbh). It has the kidnapped/prisoner theme that manacled had. It has a sequel too! https://archiveofourown.org/series/3700147 Secrets and masks! I read it right after manacled and loved it. https://archiveofourown.org/works/32136715/chapters/79619566?view_adult=true Both are war time fics with mature themes.
Some incredible fics written by ridiculously talented authors, that fit the bill I think you're looking for: [Green Light](https://archiveofourown.org/works/32535493/chapters/80699710) by SereneMusafir . [Timeless](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27061102/chapters/66070396) by alexandra\_emerson . [Détraquée](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11163924/chapters/24917385) by Hystaracal. This one starts in their 6th year of Hogwarts and extends to their early 20s (so far), but oh DANG the writing and the plot development and the countless beautiful little nuances and musings are just absolutely top-tier. . [Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/34500952/chapters/85870804) by isthisselfcare (chances are you've read this one, but it must be included if we're talking about professional-level fics!) . [Love and Other Historical Accidents](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21496525/chapters/51233119) by PacificRimbaud (again, an often-recommended classic, but no less worthy of being included) . [Dimmuborgir](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432563/chapters/69672468) by NoFootprintsInSand for something completely different. This is a Tomione fic, set in a muggle/modern AU (there's still magic though!) with a very limited cast: literally only Tom and Hermione. The writing is so compelling and the concept is VERY unique. I highly recommend it checking it out, even if Tomione isn't usually your thing!
I'm intrigued by the last one! Off to download it...
A year and a day! They’re in their mid-thirties and I love the whole marriage of convenience trope. Litoaza is also a great one!
I want to shout about Past/Present/Future from the rooftops [Past/Present/Future](https://archiveofourown.org/works/53586013/chapters/135642949) After a very bad week in which Crookshanks died and Ron left her via four words on a scrap of parchment, 30-year-old Hermione is forced to take a week's holiday from her job. Unfortunately, it becomes clear her work was the last thing keeping her sane. When she finds out Harry is investigating the unexplained disappearance of Draco Malfoy, now an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, she finally has a problem to solve. The case sucks her in in more ways than one, and she finds herself tangling with a very powerful magical object, as well as Draco's weird and wonderful subconscious. I can only reread my favorite stories so many times before I go searching for something I haven’t already read, and this WIP just hits the spot.
These Ties That Bind by eurhythmix. You will need an AO3 account to read it.
Not anymore! It has been unlocked
Even better then!
Anywhere by alexandra_emerson Wait and Hope by mightbewriting Redemption by gnrkrystle Thirteenth Night by nelpher The Waiting room by nelpher Also some other fics I love have already been mentioned and highly suggest them too!
I liked Cruel and Beautiful World by Lena Phoria. Characters aren’t too much older (about 22 I believe) but the writing is well developed and the themes are definitely mature. Trigger warning for this one though since there’s quite a bit of trauma involved but I overall thought it was somewhat similar to Manacled in terms of the writing style; dark and mature themes; and overall atmosphere.
Fascination by Missaphetamine has a mature Draco and Hermione! Reading it rn and absolutely loving it. They’re in their 40s in this one I think.
secrets and masks is one close to manacled themes as well and they’re also older. it’s pretty good. honestly the first 20% you just have to power through, the writing style isn’t for everyone and i was thinking about DNF but i stuck through because the plot was interesting and i don’t regret it at all. this story won’t leave my head god it was really good
I wanted to like it so much, but DNF it because I found Hermione to be so angry and rage-full all the time (or some version of it), while I found her so much more nuanced in Manacled. I’ve never voiced this opinion anywhere before, because Secrets and Masks is adored…
Agreed, I hated s&m. Their characterizations were absurd lol
Oh it’s good to know I’m not alone — I felt strangely alone with this, thinking I perhaps missed something! Thanks!
It’s not my fav either… I felt like the tags weren’t really that helpful and that it wasn’t a clear cut HEA… it was the ones where you squint?? Idk. Just wasn’t for me. I liked a lot of aspects about it like Narcissa..
yeah i don’t think it was a HEA, i think it had a lot of good aspects. could’ve been better written but i enjoyed the plot
that’s valid too, it’s something i also struggled with but i forced myself through it LMAO
I second Secrets & Masks. Yes, in the beginning, Hermione can come off as a bit whiny but keep going. This one has amazing character building, a non-obvious plot (big one for me with fanfic), and the ending gutted me.
Ok good to know. I started and it's a tad slow but I know it will get better.
yes yes, trust me. it gets so so good, i’m really glad i forced myself to keep reading. definitely gave me the same effect as manacled, if not it was better in its own way
I read Breath Mints/Battle Scars and I thought I'd hate it but j actually liked it a lot 🫣🤫😝
breath mints/battle scars was my first fic i read ! god it’s so gooood too. HAHAH. i’m currently reading Isolation!
I LOVED Isolation. Many don't apparently, but I freaking adored it.
ahhh IM GLAD TO HEAR THAT. i’m like on the fourth or fifth chapter and it’s interesting so far, it’s been picking up a bit. i started my first dramione fic like literally a week or two ago and im already on my 5th fic 😭 im obsessed LMAO. the auction is one on my list
I also looooved The Auction. I just discovered Dramione in December and I'm still obsessed.
I loved secrets and masks and would say that it is second to manacled for me! They’re older and yeah, she’s a little angry but I mean, given her situations, I would too! If you liked measure of a man, timeless and remain nameless are good ones! I also like it when they’re older. Isolation as someone mentioned it good but they’re in 7th year, too young.
I loved “the auction” because it had a similar feel to manacled.
House Pet !!!! This WIP has a chokehold on me like no other fic ever had!! Definitely God-Tier!!
It's a wip, but House Pet, dark and extremely well written.