LJ is my decision-maker
Nov. 7th, 2009 06:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lomonaaerenSo “Bastardy/Opportunity,” the long one-shot I’m working on now, will probably be done in a week at the latest, and I have several ideas that I would like to write next but which I can’t choose between. (Note that all these are long one-shots, rather than fics that I think will require multiple chapters or a novel-length story to complete. Note also that I tend to produce 4000 words a day, so longer fics take longer to post unless I post them in parts).
“A Bright-Eyed Sacrifice”: Harry has lost his magic and retreated to live in the Muggle world, and his wife has divorced him. Draco, though, is more concerned with the rumor that Harry lost his magic to some new and potent disease, and with the fact that Harry had contact with Scorpius right before he became a Squib. Determined to find out how he can save his son’s magic, Draco makes contact with Harry. And, of course, he finds out the situation isn’t exactly what he thought it was. Estimated length: Probably about 24,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst.
“Anarchy as Art”: Draco is an accomplished thief who also teaches Dark magic to those who pay enough and sells illegal potions on the side. Harry is the best Auror in the Department, who keeps capturing all the Dark wizards Draco is setting up—but he hasn’t yet managed to catch Draco himself. Then his boss puts him exclusively on the case, and it becomes a cat-and-mouse game. With sexual attraction, of course. Estimated length: Between 24,000-35,000 words. Estimated warnings: UST, violence.
“Another Country”: Harry is brain-damaged by a Dark curse, which leaves him out of step with the world: seeing auras that no one else can, seeing futures that don’t happen, and having trouble with English words for common items even though he can speak Latin with increased fluency. Draco, who’s long been resentful of Harry’s “perfect” life, feels some pity for him now that he’ll never be normal again. And Draco, in this story (shut up, it’s my fic and I can do this) speaks perfect Latin, because his parents thought it would give him a head start on spells to learn Latin as one of his native languages. He’s the one who starts taking over Harry’s rehabilitation and introducing him to a new future, rather than trying to make him return to “normal,” as the Healers think he should. Estimated length: 20-30,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, issues of disability.
“Blooming Narcissus”: Harry accidentally caused Narcissa Malfoy's death, and, guilt-ridden, promised anything to Draco in an attempt to atone. Now Draco wants Harry to use the Deathly Hallows to bring her back to life. Could you say "bad news"? I knew you could. Estimated length: 16-30,000 words. Estimated warnings: Darkness, horror, angst, martyr!Harry.
“Dance of Death and Life”: Draco POV story. He awakens in St. Mungo’s and discovers that mysteries are happening all around him. Among other things, he doesn’t know why he was asleep, why Ron Weasley is in a coma, why he can’t remember how most of the other Aurors on the raid that knocked him out died…and why most of the other Aurors are treating Harry Potter like he’s the next Dark Lord. He does know that Potter is about to do something stupid, though. It’s comforting to know that some things never change. Estimated length: 20,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, violence, martyr!Harry.
“Departure”: Harry and Draco have both returned to Hogwarts after an absence of five years, since Neville has become Headmaster and a lot of the older professors are retiring, and Neville wants experts in their fields among the new professors. Draco is still coping with the aftermath of the war. He notices that Harry seems to have got over it rather better than he has. In fact, Harry is very calm now, not impulsive, and very gentle with everyone else. As Draco watches him, he comes to the conclusion that the calm is a little too deep to be real. But the only clue he can find as to what’s going on is a calendar page for the coming August in Harry’s rooms. Estimated length: 5-8000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, unresolved ending.
“Heraclitean Fire”: On his first “real” field mission as an Auror, Harry is hit with the Withering Curse, which will gradually shrivel parts of his body away, killing him in a long, agonizing process over months. There’s no cure for it except to murder another person in cold blood, and use the power of splitting one’s soul during the murder to dispel the curse. Needless to say, Harry refuses to do this. He has about two weeks before the first effects of the curse show up, so he makes his will—and helps Draco Malfoy, who is dealing with a house he inherited on his father’s death which turns out to be haunted by something other than ghosts. Harry thinks he might as well do this as anything else, have one last adventure. But the adventure turns unexpectedly ghastly, and drives Harry to acts of courage and strength that convince Draco he can’t allow him to die. Lucky for Harry that he has a Dark magical artifact that might provide the answer. Or perhaps not so lucky for Harry. Estimated length: 30-40,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, horror, darkness, violence, dub-con.
“Idyll”: Harry has tried to recover from the war with the help of Mind-Healers and various potions. It didn’t work. He’s discovered a spell that he thinks will help, by transporting him to a quiet green place where he doesn’t have to do anything and can recover absolutely at his leisure. But for the spell to work, he has to attain a Zen-like state of mind and withdraw from most of his connections with other people. He thinks he’s managed it by working hard for the happiness of his friends and loved ones, so that they won’t need him while he’s gone—except for Draco Malfoy, who wants a friend, and whom Harry has a life-debt to. Estimated length: 17-20,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst.
“Penance is the Play”: Draco is a good Auror, but every partner he works with gives up on him in despair because he’s so annoying. In desperation, Kingsley asks Harry to take him on. Harry, grumbling, does, and is astonished to find that Draco is perfectly charming. Was he playing at being annoying before? Or is his new behavior the game? And what in the world could he have to gain from it? (Probably you suspect what he has to gain from it. But Harry is focused on work in this story and not on Draco). Estimated length: 20,000 words. Estimated warnings: Oblivious!Harry, violence, sneaky!Draco.
“Shadows of a Future Passed”: (The spelling of the last word in the title is deliberate). Set in an AU where Harry killed Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts, but also died himself. Draco returns to Hogwarts after he attains the Potions mastery, and finds Harry still there, to his shock—but as a Shade, rather than a ghost, meaning that he mindlessly repeats the events of his life instead of interacting with living people. McGonagall and the other professors assume Harry will eventually fade and that there’s nothing to be done about it in the meanwhile. After investigating the events of the Battle of Hogwarts more closely, Draco’s not so sure. Estimated length: 25-30,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, AU, lots of magical theory.
“The Villain of the Piece”: Astoria didn't mind Draco taking a lover; after all, she had one herself. But infidelity had certain rules, and Draco wasn't obeying them. He would have to learn better. Estimated length: 6-8000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, Astoria POV, dumb!Draco, epilogue compliance, infidelity, het, femmeslash.
“Virgin Revelry”: AU from the end of HBP, in which Hermione determines that the only way Harry can successfully defeat Voldemort is if he a) undergoes a certain magical ritual and b) swears to remain a virgin the rest of his life. Harry does this, Voldemort disappears, and Harry does his best to live with it and to sit back and laugh at the marriage proposals and such that he receives. Then Draco gets in contact with him and tells him that, by undergoing that ritual, he actually made himself the perfect vessel for a virgin sacrifice to ensure Voldemort’s return. But the problem’s not going to be as simple as having sex, since Hermione is also right that Harry needs to remain a virgin or Voldemort will come back. So how are they going to solve this one? Estimated length: 20-40,000 words (yeah, I really don’t know. It will depend on the plot I choose for it). Estimated warnings: AU, a ridiculous plot.
[Poll #1482234]
“A Bright-Eyed Sacrifice”: Harry has lost his magic and retreated to live in the Muggle world, and his wife has divorced him. Draco, though, is more concerned with the rumor that Harry lost his magic to some new and potent disease, and with the fact that Harry had contact with Scorpius right before he became a Squib. Determined to find out how he can save his son’s magic, Draco makes contact with Harry. And, of course, he finds out the situation isn’t exactly what he thought it was. Estimated length: Probably about 24,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst.
“Anarchy as Art”: Draco is an accomplished thief who also teaches Dark magic to those who pay enough and sells illegal potions on the side. Harry is the best Auror in the Department, who keeps capturing all the Dark wizards Draco is setting up—but he hasn’t yet managed to catch Draco himself. Then his boss puts him exclusively on the case, and it becomes a cat-and-mouse game. With sexual attraction, of course. Estimated length: Between 24,000-35,000 words. Estimated warnings: UST, violence.
“Another Country”: Harry is brain-damaged by a Dark curse, which leaves him out of step with the world: seeing auras that no one else can, seeing futures that don’t happen, and having trouble with English words for common items even though he can speak Latin with increased fluency. Draco, who’s long been resentful of Harry’s “perfect” life, feels some pity for him now that he’ll never be normal again. And Draco, in this story (shut up, it’s my fic and I can do this) speaks perfect Latin, because his parents thought it would give him a head start on spells to learn Latin as one of his native languages. He’s the one who starts taking over Harry’s rehabilitation and introducing him to a new future, rather than trying to make him return to “normal,” as the Healers think he should. Estimated length: 20-30,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, issues of disability.
“Blooming Narcissus”: Harry accidentally caused Narcissa Malfoy's death, and, guilt-ridden, promised anything to Draco in an attempt to atone. Now Draco wants Harry to use the Deathly Hallows to bring her back to life. Could you say "bad news"? I knew you could. Estimated length: 16-30,000 words. Estimated warnings: Darkness, horror, angst, martyr!Harry.
“Dance of Death and Life”: Draco POV story. He awakens in St. Mungo’s and discovers that mysteries are happening all around him. Among other things, he doesn’t know why he was asleep, why Ron Weasley is in a coma, why he can’t remember how most of the other Aurors on the raid that knocked him out died…and why most of the other Aurors are treating Harry Potter like he’s the next Dark Lord. He does know that Potter is about to do something stupid, though. It’s comforting to know that some things never change. Estimated length: 20,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, violence, martyr!Harry.
“Departure”: Harry and Draco have both returned to Hogwarts after an absence of five years, since Neville has become Headmaster and a lot of the older professors are retiring, and Neville wants experts in their fields among the new professors. Draco is still coping with the aftermath of the war. He notices that Harry seems to have got over it rather better than he has. In fact, Harry is very calm now, not impulsive, and very gentle with everyone else. As Draco watches him, he comes to the conclusion that the calm is a little too deep to be real. But the only clue he can find as to what’s going on is a calendar page for the coming August in Harry’s rooms. Estimated length: 5-8000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, unresolved ending.
“Heraclitean Fire”: On his first “real” field mission as an Auror, Harry is hit with the Withering Curse, which will gradually shrivel parts of his body away, killing him in a long, agonizing process over months. There’s no cure for it except to murder another person in cold blood, and use the power of splitting one’s soul during the murder to dispel the curse. Needless to say, Harry refuses to do this. He has about two weeks before the first effects of the curse show up, so he makes his will—and helps Draco Malfoy, who is dealing with a house he inherited on his father’s death which turns out to be haunted by something other than ghosts. Harry thinks he might as well do this as anything else, have one last adventure. But the adventure turns unexpectedly ghastly, and drives Harry to acts of courage and strength that convince Draco he can’t allow him to die. Lucky for Harry that he has a Dark magical artifact that might provide the answer. Or perhaps not so lucky for Harry. Estimated length: 30-40,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, horror, darkness, violence, dub-con.
“Idyll”: Harry has tried to recover from the war with the help of Mind-Healers and various potions. It didn’t work. He’s discovered a spell that he thinks will help, by transporting him to a quiet green place where he doesn’t have to do anything and can recover absolutely at his leisure. But for the spell to work, he has to attain a Zen-like state of mind and withdraw from most of his connections with other people. He thinks he’s managed it by working hard for the happiness of his friends and loved ones, so that they won’t need him while he’s gone—except for Draco Malfoy, who wants a friend, and whom Harry has a life-debt to. Estimated length: 17-20,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst.
“Penance is the Play”: Draco is a good Auror, but every partner he works with gives up on him in despair because he’s so annoying. In desperation, Kingsley asks Harry to take him on. Harry, grumbling, does, and is astonished to find that Draco is perfectly charming. Was he playing at being annoying before? Or is his new behavior the game? And what in the world could he have to gain from it? (Probably you suspect what he has to gain from it. But Harry is focused on work in this story and not on Draco). Estimated length: 20,000 words. Estimated warnings: Oblivious!Harry, violence, sneaky!Draco.
“Shadows of a Future Passed”: (The spelling of the last word in the title is deliberate). Set in an AU where Harry killed Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts, but also died himself. Draco returns to Hogwarts after he attains the Potions mastery, and finds Harry still there, to his shock—but as a Shade, rather than a ghost, meaning that he mindlessly repeats the events of his life instead of interacting with living people. McGonagall and the other professors assume Harry will eventually fade and that there’s nothing to be done about it in the meanwhile. After investigating the events of the Battle of Hogwarts more closely, Draco’s not so sure. Estimated length: 25-30,000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, AU, lots of magical theory.
“The Villain of the Piece”: Astoria didn't mind Draco taking a lover; after all, she had one herself. But infidelity had certain rules, and Draco wasn't obeying them. He would have to learn better. Estimated length: 6-8000 words. Estimated warnings: Angst, Astoria POV, dumb!Draco, epilogue compliance, infidelity, het, femmeslash.
“Virgin Revelry”: AU from the end of HBP, in which Hermione determines that the only way Harry can successfully defeat Voldemort is if he a) undergoes a certain magical ritual and b) swears to remain a virgin the rest of his life. Harry does this, Voldemort disappears, and Harry does his best to live with it and to sit back and laugh at the marriage proposals and such that he receives. Then Draco gets in contact with him and tells him that, by undergoing that ritual, he actually made himself the perfect vessel for a virgin sacrifice to ensure Voldemort’s return. But the problem’s not going to be as simple as having sex, since Hermione is also right that Harry needs to remain a virgin or Voldemort will come back. So how are they going to solve this one? Estimated length: 20-40,000 words (yeah, I really don’t know. It will depend on the plot I choose for it). Estimated warnings: AU, a ridiculous plot.
[Poll #1482234]
