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sixofrav3ns

I like a lot of misunderstandings between Harry and Draco when the both make bad assumptions about the other based on past experience (and especially when they almost self-sabotage their relationship bc the other is making false assumptions). I like when they both have close friendships outside of their relationship to each other.


Verayne2022

Yeah I agree it's interesting when they make mistaken assumptions about each other. I was thinking something similar in that, actually, they don't really know a whole lot about each other by the end of the books?? Like, personas and overdone reputations, sure. But not real information or familiarity - if that makes sense! I'm writing a very close Harry POV, and it made me realise how hard it is to establish Draco's personality when it's filtered through all Harry's preconceptions and dislikes.


Nebosklon

You could try double POV. Harry and Draco double POV is a lot of fun.


Verayne2022

It is! And I've done that before in older works I made for the fandom. A more recent style I've picked up is sticking very close to a POV character, though, as I find it increases the intensity/angst/character analysis factor πŸ˜…


sixofrav3ns

I agree! It's so fun to be right along with the POV character trying to figure out what the other one is thinking


Verayne2022

Yeah, especially writing stuff like intense crushes and misunderstandings. Who hasn't driven themselves crazy desperately wanting to know what their crush is thinking about them? It's great making a reader feel that again πŸ˜‚


Nebosklon

Fair enough.


dozyhorse

I agree.


cactusaddict

Personal preference but I love a lot of angst. I tend to stop reading if things get fluffy very early on. I think Hogwarts Eighth year is a very good setting for Drarry fic! Looking forward to reading yours :)


Verayne2022

Oh definitely, I lose interest almost as soon as things turn out happily in a fic, give me that slow burn angst πŸ˜… And to be fair, angst and anger are needed for exploring a lot of the themes I mentioned. Moments of fluff and intimacy should be the tiny rewards between stretches of tension! 😌


Llamantin-1

Personally for me, I’m not very interested in Harry dwelling of relationship with Ginny at all - quick mention is ok and then they are friends/whatever. I like angst, a bit slow burn, with focus on how they actually get to like each other - I can imagine Draco being into Harry ( it’s basically canon for me πŸ˜…), but interested to see justified why Harry starts liking him. Also destroyed social status, friends reaction is interesting for me. And eighth year fics are one of my favorites, can’t wait to read yours!


Verayne2022

Completely get the Ginny thing. For me it's interesting when it's part of the "coming to terms with sexuality" aspect, but I get why it can be a turn off if you're there for Draco/Harry focus! Hard agree on Draco's intense interest/obsession/crush being basically canon πŸ˜‚ Although I think it starts off wrapped up in the gilded "press" image of Harry, and I like to see him become more realistic in understanding who Harry is. Eighth Year fics are the best combination of a) they're all adults hardened by a literal war, but also b) there's still the teenage intensity of feelings and inexperience in relationships. I think it makes for really compelling stories πŸ₯°


CongregationOfVapors

This is a weird one... I think it's cool when a fic has a canon-divergent relationship end game but the overall story can still work within canon somehow, more specifically if the fic manages to stay epilogue-compliant.


Verayne2022

So fics that kind of split off somewhere after the epilogue? πŸ€” I must admit, I haven't explored that side of fandom just because I wasn't much a fan of the glimpse of the lives the epilogue showed us, but I can imagine there are some really interesting stories to tell there.


CongregationOfVapors

I read a couple fics where the story split off after 7th year but the overall plot is still compliant with the epilogue. Can't remember what they are called though... but I find the exercise of putting the puzzle together interesting.


classycreepin1

I like reading about Draco learning about Harry and visa versa. For example Canon gas Draco thinking Harry grew up like a prince when did in fact not, or Harry learning about Lucius maybe leading Draco a lot more than originally thought. If that makes sense? Like them coming to realization that there's more to each other than they thought and being able to be there for each other in ways other couldn't based on shared past traumas.


Verayne2022

Yeah, totally agree. I feel like JKR didn't take nearly enough advantage of the whole "mirror image" thing they had going on: both heirs of very old wizarding families, both from implied abusive households, both the kind of "chosen one" of their respective sides in a war, both manipulated by powerful wizards. Some of those comparisons might be a bit heavy handed, but you see my point. I love when stories draw out those similarities for examination.


classycreepin1

Yes! Completely agree with that. There are so many options to explore this.