![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaSo I followed up slightly on a friendship-fic H/D rec, and it occurs to me that the thing with H/D-friendship fics is that it's an easy segue into fanon!Draco, as a genre. If you could call it a genre. I actually don't think about fanon!Draco much at all, but he's pretty interesting as a specimen for study in his own right (if you're in the mood). I mean, he's different enough to be his own person, and while there are many, many flavors and interpretations, I think there -are- constants. It's interesting to me 'cause I don't think I've ever written him, and this avoidance hasn't been on purpose. I just don't think like that, which begs the question of "like what"?
I mean, in one way, because I write so much hot-blooded H/D madness, it's refreshing to see them talking to each other. Yet in `What Separates Us', for instance, it's definitely a -type- of conversation. A lot of times, it's Draco prodding or testing Harry, and Harry parrying Draco. Mentally, Draco is given the upper hand, and Harry is all enthusiasm and bravado and a good dose of confusion. It's interesting 'cause I think their canon roles are actually reversed in this case.
The thing that really struck me as fanon (besides the abuse reference) in this one story was the way Draco displayed himself and immediately was all "hey, I've got a slut complex". UL Draco is kind of like that. It's interesting to me 'cause this would never even occur to my own Draco-- he'd want Potter on his own terms, actively, instead of passively being an object of desire. My own Draco has his own driving needs, I guess, and he doesn't really see himself through the eyes of others when it comes to what -he- wants. He's too self-centered to think of himself as an object.
Whereas fanon!Draco is aware of himself as some sort of commodity, which... takes away some of his willfulness in my mind. It's like, he can close himself off or he can offer himself, but he doesn't -take-. Which I think is female-stereotype behavior, even though I wouldn't say this Draco is -feminine-, exactly.
I guess that's why I've never written him, maybe-- I like my females active and willful (as well as my males). I think the thing about fanon!Draco is that he's passive-aggressive and tends to use his body and wit as his main weapons. I don't see any evidence of the first, but the latter could be argued for as canonical, except that it's not wit so much as crude taunting, the sort that comes to one when one is really enraged and is saying the stupidest, most baseless possible things that'll elicit the most emotion.
In canon, Draco has all these things done -to- him, by Harry, anyway, and secondarily by Dumbledore's system. He also seems to be willingly ruled by Lucius, though really, he's not a very good subject 'cause he's always breaking his father's rules. That's the thing-- he's seemingly controlled and dominated by all and sundry, but his attitude is such that he seems to shrug it off. In fanon, it seems that Draco internalizes it and thinks of himself as thrown around by these forces that are much larger than him-- his father, the war, Voldemort, sometimes Harry-- whereas in canon, Draco must be aware of how everything is stacked against him, but he spits into the wind anyway.
In fanon, his arrogance is a mask for the wounded, fragile boy inside, whereas in canon, I'm willing to bet that he simply -does- have that much of an ego. It's not that he thinks he's invicible-- it's that he's just that stubborn and his denial is just that strong.
Very often, in fanon, the masks Draco wears are the driving force of his characterization. It's all about who he -pretends- to be and who he's -taught- to be and who he's -expected- to be, and sometimes he's just painfully aware of it to the extent that it's the main source of his angst. Everything is explained away by layering and trauma-- usually childhood trauma which splintered his personality somehow. In canon, I don't really see any evidence that Draco is splintered. At all. None.
Sometimes the arrogance and hidden woundedness are given as excuses, overt apologies-- and sometimes it's presented as an asset, something to be attracted to, something that makes Draco hot and mysterious while Harry's awkward and tongue-tied. I mean... clearly Draco's hidden (oh-so-hidden) pain makes him pretty hot, right?
In the end, maybe I've never felt much attraction to the usual brand of fanon!Draco because I've never liked pitying characters, Draco in particular. I don't think Draco would -want- my pity, or anyone's, complain and whine as he does. And making the situation easier on him by giving him talents or beauty or hidden pain is all a way of making him prettier, of pitying who he is without them. It's not enough to -say-, within a fic, that Harry doesn't pity an instance of fanon!Draco, because his very concentration on his pain is already pity. I think both their disregard for each other's feelings is something useful, something they don't really get all that much from their usual circle.
Empathy and understanding is one thing-- the sharing of pain that comes from knowing its source. That comes with time, and one's reaction is usually understated, the beginning of a silent bond of trust. Anything more sensational seems fake to me, rings of easy answers and short-term solutions. There's no pity in Harry for Draco or vice versa, and that's just part of what makes them -strong-.
I don't know why I'm saying any of this. I just realized that it's painfully obvious and also that it's only that I haven't thought of it in a month that makes it seem almost new & interesting. Oopsie. I also just realized that fanon!Draco isn't all that interesting, even in his passive, feminine aspect which is what I was primarily interested in. I mean, I can see how canon!Draco is feminized by his enforced submission to Harry, but isn't it his -refusal- to occupy that slot that makes him interesting? I mean, okay, Harry does the best he can to basically hex off Draco's balls, but so far Draco's holding on to them, isn't he? Sure, he's a whiny pathetic prat, but he struts 'em anyway and maybe that's what counts as far as ball-having goes among teenage boys. Ahhh, there's the rub, come to think of it. Teenage. Boys.
See, the thing is, some people go too far with the "Draco Has Balls" initiative and they give them to Draco after stealing Harry's, making him "top" Harry and making him wittier and more forward and more experienced than Harry, shifting the balance of power enough to give Draco a chance. It's like he doesn't have a chance "as is", because clearly Harry's the ballsy alpha-wolf in comparison to Draco's whining, skulking eunuch-beta-wolf (in canon), eh?
Actually... this ties in to the top vs. bottom debate. I've always favored a switch scenario where it could go either way, 'cause honestly, I'm not in favor of stealing either of their balls.
Long live the balls.
I mean, in one way, because I write so much hot-blooded H/D madness, it's refreshing to see them talking to each other. Yet in `What Separates Us', for instance, it's definitely a -type- of conversation. A lot of times, it's Draco prodding or testing Harry, and Harry parrying Draco. Mentally, Draco is given the upper hand, and Harry is all enthusiasm and bravado and a good dose of confusion. It's interesting 'cause I think their canon roles are actually reversed in this case.
The thing that really struck me as fanon (besides the abuse reference) in this one story was the way Draco displayed himself and immediately was all "hey, I've got a slut complex". UL Draco is kind of like that. It's interesting to me 'cause this would never even occur to my own Draco-- he'd want Potter on his own terms, actively, instead of passively being an object of desire. My own Draco has his own driving needs, I guess, and he doesn't really see himself through the eyes of others when it comes to what -he- wants. He's too self-centered to think of himself as an object.
Whereas fanon!Draco is aware of himself as some sort of commodity, which... takes away some of his willfulness in my mind. It's like, he can close himself off or he can offer himself, but he doesn't -take-. Which I think is female-stereotype behavior, even though I wouldn't say this Draco is -feminine-, exactly.
I guess that's why I've never written him, maybe-- I like my females active and willful (as well as my males). I think the thing about fanon!Draco is that he's passive-aggressive and tends to use his body and wit as his main weapons. I don't see any evidence of the first, but the latter could be argued for as canonical, except that it's not wit so much as crude taunting, the sort that comes to one when one is really enraged and is saying the stupidest, most baseless possible things that'll elicit the most emotion.
In canon, Draco has all these things done -to- him, by Harry, anyway, and secondarily by Dumbledore's system. He also seems to be willingly ruled by Lucius, though really, he's not a very good subject 'cause he's always breaking his father's rules. That's the thing-- he's seemingly controlled and dominated by all and sundry, but his attitude is such that he seems to shrug it off. In fanon, it seems that Draco internalizes it and thinks of himself as thrown around by these forces that are much larger than him-- his father, the war, Voldemort, sometimes Harry-- whereas in canon, Draco must be aware of how everything is stacked against him, but he spits into the wind anyway.
In fanon, his arrogance is a mask for the wounded, fragile boy inside, whereas in canon, I'm willing to bet that he simply -does- have that much of an ego. It's not that he thinks he's invicible-- it's that he's just that stubborn and his denial is just that strong.
Very often, in fanon, the masks Draco wears are the driving force of his characterization. It's all about who he -pretends- to be and who he's -taught- to be and who he's -expected- to be, and sometimes he's just painfully aware of it to the extent that it's the main source of his angst. Everything is explained away by layering and trauma-- usually childhood trauma which splintered his personality somehow. In canon, I don't really see any evidence that Draco is splintered. At all. None.
Sometimes the arrogance and hidden woundedness are given as excuses, overt apologies-- and sometimes it's presented as an asset, something to be attracted to, something that makes Draco hot and mysterious while Harry's awkward and tongue-tied. I mean... clearly Draco's hidden (oh-so-hidden) pain makes him pretty hot, right?
In the end, maybe I've never felt much attraction to the usual brand of fanon!Draco because I've never liked pitying characters, Draco in particular. I don't think Draco would -want- my pity, or anyone's, complain and whine as he does. And making the situation easier on him by giving him talents or beauty or hidden pain is all a way of making him prettier, of pitying who he is without them. It's not enough to -say-, within a fic, that Harry doesn't pity an instance of fanon!Draco, because his very concentration on his pain is already pity. I think both their disregard for each other's feelings is something useful, something they don't really get all that much from their usual circle.
Empathy and understanding is one thing-- the sharing of pain that comes from knowing its source. That comes with time, and one's reaction is usually understated, the beginning of a silent bond of trust. Anything more sensational seems fake to me, rings of easy answers and short-term solutions. There's no pity in Harry for Draco or vice versa, and that's just part of what makes them -strong-.
I don't know why I'm saying any of this. I just realized that it's painfully obvious and also that it's only that I haven't thought of it in a month that makes it seem almost new & interesting. Oopsie. I also just realized that fanon!Draco isn't all that interesting, even in his passive, feminine aspect which is what I was primarily interested in. I mean, I can see how canon!Draco is feminized by his enforced submission to Harry, but isn't it his -refusal- to occupy that slot that makes him interesting? I mean, okay, Harry does the best he can to basically hex off Draco's balls, but so far Draco's holding on to them, isn't he? Sure, he's a whiny pathetic prat, but he struts 'em anyway and maybe that's what counts as far as ball-having goes among teenage boys. Ahhh, there's the rub, come to think of it. Teenage. Boys.
See, the thing is, some people go too far with the "Draco Has Balls" initiative and they give them to Draco after stealing Harry's, making him "top" Harry and making him wittier and more forward and more experienced than Harry, shifting the balance of power enough to give Draco a chance. It's like he doesn't have a chance "as is", because clearly Harry's the ballsy alpha-wolf in comparison to Draco's whining, skulking eunuch-beta-wolf (in canon), eh?
Actually... this ties in to the top vs. bottom debate. I've always favored a switch scenario where it could go either way, 'cause honestly, I'm not in favor of stealing either of their balls.
Long live the balls.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-02-19 02:54 am (UTC)He is wildly OOC! I renounce him! Draco's far too fastidious to have a slut complex! I bet Draco sits through meals at Hogwarts turning his pointed nose up at everything!
... however, I think Draco would talk a lot about girls and his wild success with them, because Draco likes to pretend he is cool. and someday I believe he will manage it.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-19 05:03 am (UTC)What I think of as a "slut complex" is where someone is out of touch with their sexuality, you know what I mean? Like, where they -use- it to achieve things or they just kind of look down on it as a tool. UL!Draco's fastidiousness and inability to connect himself with his baser emotions, his sexual self-- that's what I think of as a slut complex, perhaps in more psychoanalytic terms, I'm not sure.
See, it's not like I think UL!Draco's frigid, y'know? There just seems to be a split, and I think of that split as being typical of people who have sex emotionlessly or separate emotion from sex. People who separate emotion from sex = slut complex in my mind. Even if Draco doesn't sleep around and act slutty, the basis for that sort of behavior is there, I think. You see what I mean?
It os acceptable to him to be wanted for his body, to just fuck, but more damningly, he -assumes- that's what it is, with Harry. That is the behavior of someone who's internalized some sort of mind/body split which I very unscientifically called a "slut complex".
It's like... I think sluts are actually emotionally distant, disconnected from their bodies. I shouldn't say "slut"... because that implies a behavior pattern. But it's a quick-and-dirty term for someone who uses their body as a weapon, who "just fucks", however -often- they do it, as long as the -attitude- is there.
You could be a fastidious slut, because of the approach remaining the same. You could also be a wild-and-crazy slut. I think this proves the word was inadequate, but you see where I was going, don't you?~:)
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 08:29 pm (UTC)I never got around to telling you earlier, but this post kicks ass. At least, it made me realize why I write Draco so suckily.
<33333