Naya Snake “Blood Ties” (R)

This story has earned its place despite the slightly rough writing because of the mere genius of its epic scope. The writer takes a few liberties with the plot and the Harry Potter universe that may annoy you at first, but which you will quickly become accustomed to as she transforms them into an epic universe of her own with an intriguing plot, inspiring battles, prophecies and a good old growing-into-your-shoes story. Let me warn you though that Harry is just a secondary character here (and I mean it!) with a larger-than-life Snape holding the reigns. And don’t let the floundering POVs or slightly amateur writing distract you either. This is a story you will find yourself unable to stop reading after a couple of chapters.

Summary: Severitus with a twist. Harry’s a vampire, Lily was a Dark witch, James was a bastard and Lucius breaks into Voldemort’s office… And Snape doesn’t want to reveal the truth!

Find it at: FanFiction.Net

Excerpt: He doesn’t know himself how he gets to the kitchens.

“Dobby!” – he bellows. “Dobby!”

“Sir?” House elves look at him with overt fear. Why are they gaping at him like that?

“Meat, quick!” – orders one of them and the others bring him a big plate of beef as quickly as they can. He doesn’t even bother with a knife or a fork. The meat isn’t baked long enough but he doesn’t care. He’s so hungry, he must eat!

 

Teka Lynn “Clipped Wings” (R)

Not an epic as such, nor a novel to keep my greedy nature satisfied, but different enough to pique my interest. It’s dark, haunted and twisted, and you’ll love every minute of it. The author opens your eyes into a world where the wizards have been exposed and Muggles took matters into their own hands by terminating most of them and removing all magical abilities from the rest. Harry, now known as Harry Dursley, is one of the very few that managed to go into hiding. So, he wanders through his meaningless life in a guilty haze until one day he comes across an auction block of “trained” wizard servants. And there he sees none other than Severus Snape.

Summary: After catastrophe, Harry deals with survivor’s guilt and finds hope for himself and others.

Find it at: Author’s Site

Excerpt: He heard a faint, low hissing sound, some murmurs. “Not that one again,” someone said close by Harry. “They’ve got to know he won’t find a buyer for love or money.”

Harry glanced over to see a ginger-haired youth scrutinizing the potential servant, and was reminded, with a momentary, wrenching pang, of Ron. Though Ron’s expression had never held that cold, cynical look. “How’s that?” Harry asked as casually as he could.

“Well, it’s his fourth time back, isn’t it?” the boy said. “He always gets snapped up right away then gets brought back in a few weeks. Looks all right, but they say he’s a trouble-maker. He’s probably been dosed up with his own medications–they say he’s tried to kill his previous masters with poison, but they couldn’t prove anything on him, just sent him back to get re-educated.”

 

Professor McKitten “Different Worlds” (NC-17)

To be honest, I’m not reccing this story so much for the author’s sheer writing talent, as for its unique plot idea. This is the kind of story that slowly builds a world that draws you in and then keeps you there till the very end. On one hand, Draco Malfoy has spent the last five years in the strict clutches of all-boys Durmstrang Academy. But given the circumstances surrounding Lucius Malfoy’s death, Madame Malfoy takes the iniative to transfer her son to Hogwarts. On the other hand, Harry Potter discovers his true inclinations in a rather traumatizing way. Some parts angst, even more parts fluff. Mild OOCness (I can never really get used to a ‘nice’ Draco), but a pleasant read all the same.

Summary: AU-Draco is sent to Durmstrang for the first five years of his schooling. How ever does he and Harry end up together?

Find it at: TheHexFiles

Excerpt: “Harry, what the fuck?” Ron asked as his friend sucked his bleeding knuckles.
“He said he, he, he” Harry sputtered, staring at Travis and growing visibly angry again. Several girls squealed as he attempted to rise and go after the injured boy again. Ron held him firmly in place.
“What Harry?” Hermione asked gently, trying to calm him down.
Harry did not answer, only continued to stare at Travis as Professor Sprout got him to his feet and led him towards the hospital wing. He looked down at Harry, sitting on the floor between Hermione and Ron as he passed. “I told him I fucked Draco,” he said smugly.
Once again, Harry lunged with a chilling roar. “I’ll fucking kill you!” he yelled after Travis, who was laughing loudly over his shoulder at the murderous Gryffindor.

 

 

GatewayGirl “Snakes and Lions” (R)

I have to admit I wasn’t certain in which category this story belongs. I had half a mind to classify it as gen, since most of it mainly focuses on the budding friendship between Harry and Draco, and their unexpected bouts of rebellion as a protest to their respective fates. Still, I thought the mild slash in the end was enough to put it here. However, you will enjoy this story more as a  general foray into the twisted and unreadable minds of one Draco Malfoy and one Harry Potter as they discover that they can have more in common than they ever thought. <grin> Enjoy!

Summary: When Ron and Hermione get together, they notice only each other. A nightmare prompts Harry to return alone to the empty Chamber of Secrets, and leads to a new look at an old enemy. Harry enjoys the company, but with Lestrange actively hunting him, how far can he trust a Death Eater’s son? (H/D — mostly friendship, progressing to mild slash) Sixth year. Rated R for unseemly behavior (drinking, stealing, and Dark Arts), occasional cursing (the non-magical sort), and off-screen violence.

Find it at: Schnoogle or TheArchive or FanFiction.Net

Excerpt: “I’ve seen their bar.” Hermione couldn’t repress a quirk of her lip at the thought of the bottles cooling in the water. She snorted. “This would be a lot less painful if Draco had a modicum of nerve.”

“What?”

“As everyone but Harry knows, Draco is smitten with Harry –“

“What?! You have got to be having me on! Malfoy?”

Hermione looked irritated. “As everyone but Harry and a few of the more clueless boys know, Draco is smitten with Harry, but he has never bothered tosay so. And Harry is practically in your class when it comes to ignoring hints.”

 

Cinnamon “Windfallen” (R)

Cinnamon’s fics are not known for their happy endings. In fact, they are so very precious exactly for the tragic touches that the author spins throughout the entire story. This fic is a gem, and personally I consider it better than most of the books I’ve actually paid for. But consider yourselves warned when I tell you to keep a box of tissues at hand. This is the kind of story that can make you feel like crying for days afterwards, but it is so profound that it is well worth the risk. Harry and Draco are not meant to be in love, they are simply meant to be, and it doesn’t even matter if the feeling is called hate or love. But to save the world, one must break the other and in turn shatter both their worlds. Because true heroes are the ones that give up everything until there is nothing left to give.

 Summary: A new Unforgivable is spreading like wildfire and only Harry Potter is immune to its power, and only he can soothe its effects. When Draco is hit by the curse and left for dead by his own side, a misguided sense of duty compels Harry to care for him, and in doing so, he learns more than he ever thought possible about nightmares, hatred, love, and above all, the true nature of forgiveness. Harry/Draco, semi-consensual Charlie/Harry, Ginny/Lucius, and Ron/Ginny. Post-Hogwarts, post OotP, and very dark. 

Find it at: Schnoogle or PureMagnetism

Excerpt: There was a tense and nervous silence, and then, “No.”

But blood was running, in trickles and pools that soaked into the cracks and fissures of the dark stone, and the only sound was the flickering of flames in the hearth. The halo from the flames was no longer angelic, because it was tinged with red. Still, it cast a hazy light over Draco’s body, almost disguising the blood. Draco had fallen on his side, the wounded part of his head against the floor, and Harry could not see how much damage had been done. Still, Draco did not seem to be breathing or moving or even living any longer.

“No,” Harry said again, but there was no one there to deny it with him and make it true. And then, in a snarl, “I’ll follow you.”

He picked up Hermione’s gun and held it to his temple, his hand shaking, his eyes squeezed shut. He breathed through his nose carefully and his finger trembled on the trigger.

 

Cinnamon “Beneath You” (R)

It starts light and free and airy, but still manages to turn into one more of Cinnamon’s tragic epics. Thankfully, this one comes with a happy ending (I hope I’m entitled to divulge this much), or my poor heart wouldn’t have taken the hit. There will still be tears somewhere in there though, and in my humble opinion any story that can make you cry is certainly worth your time.

Summary: Draco had no idea that the repercussions of stealing Potter’s journal and shoving it down the back of his trousers would be so extreme. Featuring nefarious plots, the mating rituals of Slytherins, double-crossing spells, Ron/Pansy, and Draco/Harry.

Find it at: Schnoogle or PureMagnetism

Excerpt: In the dream, Draco was sitting before him, holding a knife with snakes carved into the blade. “It’s not worth doing if you don’t cut deep enough to make it bleed,” Draco said, scoffing. He reached out and took Harry’s hand and Harry glanced down; there was a trail of blood there, a tiny, bare trail.

“I did draw blood,” he replied.

“Not enough. Never enough.” And then Draco touched the cold blade to his hand and slid it upwards, to his wrist, turning as he did. He slipped the tip of the dagger into Harry’s skin (it went in as easily as a knife into butter, or Draco into Harry) and then it was like painting a delicate painting you’ve painted a thousand times before. Every move was precise and deliberate and yet done with careless ease, as if every line had been memorized. And it was only after the whole thing was done that it started to bleed, blood welling up from a lattice of cuts, running hot and red down his arm. Harry looked up.

“It is enough?” he whispered.

“Never for me,” Draco replied casually, before dropping the knife (snakes writhed with the flickering of light over the blade as it fell) and getting to his knees. “He’s coming for you, Harry, are you ready?”

 

GatewayGirl “Blood Magic” (R)

My first instinct every time I come across a story that begins with a miraculously appearing letter on the night of Harry’s 16th birthday is to run like hell the other way. In this particular case, the smart writing managed to keep me going just out of curiosity for how things will turn out. And it was well worth it. From the realistic character reactions to the cleverly humorous lines, from the satisfyingly IC letter from James and Lily (and here you will discover a pureblood James Potter exactly as he might have been) to the subsequent magical theories, everything screams of a well-planned plot and talented writing. Not to mention its length, which was enough to satisfy even a greedy creature such as myself. So go on, go take a look!

Summary: Blood magic was supposed to keep Harry safe, but his relatives are expendable. Blood magic was supposed to keep Harry looking like his adoptive father, but it’s wearing off. Blood is a bond, but so is the memory of hate — or love.

Find it at: Schnoogle or Potions&Snitches or FanFiction.Net

Excerpt: “As the boy’s father, you are his proper guardian, as far as I am concerned. We cannot make that legal, now, of course, but I will grant you the measure of control I gave Sirius, and I expect you, considering your geographic proximity, to be more of a day-to-day influence on Harry.”

Harry and Snape eyed each other apprehensively. Harry thought Snape looked as distressed as he felt.

“Have you gone mad?” Snape hissed. Harry had to admit to a similar thought. “I am totally unsuited to the keeping of a pet rat, never mind a boy!”

“Severus, Harry is sixteen. He is largely self-sufficient.”

“Just think,” Harry contributed perversely. “You can’t be worse than my last guardians.”

“Can’t I?” Snape threatened.