~~harry is who he is, and draco isn't: a list.

[reenka]

i know what i've said before that what i look for in fic is good writing & decent characterization & surprising twists & all that. but... the more i think about it... the more i long for really really canon harry & draco. i mean, i've been thinking about people's disillusionment with h/d stories, and how people are taking shortcuts & not really proving that these two characters, just the way they are, with no apologies or fumbling with facts, can be together. there's just something delicious about a fic that proves harry and draco, not like an equation, but more like a... philosophical argument, a thesis maybe. a lot-- a lot of my favorite fics don't do this. the only ones i can think of off the top of my head are `the losing side', `irresistible poison', `underwater light', and, from all indications, the Draco Trilogy. they succeed to varying degrees, and indeed there are ficlets that do a good (if incomplete) job too, at pairing canon!harry&draco (like, i think aja's `commencement' is kinda canon-- or at least realistic, but i could be wrong, and recently, weatherby's `red', and i even find maya's `chains' canonical [sort of], so what do -i- know, obviously).
    EDIT: and i'd completely forgotten silviakundera (*sob*), who blows me away with her sexay canon!harry&draco stories.

there are some rules i think i can see-- like, harry doesn't have a crush on draco to start with (i see a very good level of subtle, believable yet not-quite-canonical draco-interest in harry in slightlights' `mirrors'). like, their enmity hasn't waned or built significantly over whatever the span of time since 4th year. like, draco isn't sexually obsessed with harry (though otherwise obsessed is ok), from the get go. some growing up is "ok", but no drastic "maturing" should occur, since that's just another short-cut. i don't think you need to thrust girlfriends at them to make it more "realistic", but on the other hand, there's no reason to shy away from them being interested in girls, although harry is the obsessive sort and if there was anyone other than cho, it was probably yet another quiet, desperate crush, unless he's had adventures with this new girl. draco, i don't see having normal human relationships very easily, so if he does have "experience", he still probably doesn't have a "normal" (not just for appearances) girlfriend. he doesn't seem gregarious and casual enough to sleep around (and probably too careful/stuck in a certain self-image to act on any homosexual tendencies he might have, though this is just a personal belief).

so anyway, for my own amusement, i made a list of the sort of behaviors/characteristics i want my harry & draco to have, in a fic that brings them together and proves their rightness once and for all. mind you, other fics are great, it's just -this- would be actually bringing them together, not them, twisted into something easier to use & mold into a relationship with the other. i prefer a gradual transformation, if it were to occur, into an extra-canonical self. and the question of how much can/does love transform us would have to then be faced.

so, without further ado:

DRACO:
    appears:

- vain
- arrogant
- generally unlikeable
- tactically challenged
- witty, heavily on the snarky side
- temperamental
- cowardly (to an extent)
- competitive
- sneaky (always)
- picky
- pouty
- a liar
- passionate
- selfish
- weak, yet
- strong-willed
- pitiless
- obsessed with lineage/father/Malfoyness
- carries grudges
- obsessive/dogged/stubborn
- vindictive, but not hateful
- petty
- easily antagonistic
- amoral
- underhanded
- immature
- confrontational when unthreatened
- manipulative/controlling
- shameless
- envious
- loud
- insecure
- intelligent - interpersonal; learning
- judgemental

    thinks he is:
- treated unfairly
- a leader [by force]
- right
- unlucky
- sexy.
~~~~~~~~~~~
HARRY
    is:
- reasonably sincere
- stubborn
- reasonably blunt
- obsessed with Voldemort/his parents
- competitive
- sneaky when he needs to be
- rebellious
- lucky
- reasonably stoic
- witty, but not really snarky
- easily likeable/liked
- reasonably honest
- judgemental
- reasonably forgiving
- amazingly sane/together/stable
- highly moralistic
- leader [by example]
- emotional, but not sensitive; often withdrawn
- driven/dogged
- reckless
- strong-willed
- reasonably self-confident
- obsessive
- strangely mature, in ways
- observant
- highly moralistic
- devoted to his friends/cause
- daring, brave, etc
- somewhat secretive

    appears:
- easy going & agreeable, to an extent
- quiet, to an extent
- intelligent - problem-solving, guessing, but not emotionally

    thinks he is:
- responsible for all evil he couldn't prevent
- not that special; average [not being humble]
- good at quidditch but not much else.
~~
in other news, pale green is probably the most canon harry/snape story i've seen-- not that i've seen/read many (and it -would- be flambeau, wouldn't it, heh). i mean really, it's creepy, because i can totally see it, and that is not something i'd ever thought i'd say about harry/snape, trust me. oh well, never say never, all that.

Comments

[ex-amalin225.livejournal.com]

*takes a deep breath*

I read through your characterization list, and I am mostly in agreement. I haven't found very many canon!Draco's who come off as believable, the total exception being potterstinks of nocturne alley, of course. After having utterly destroyed H and D as we know them in Two Lost Souls, I'm striving for them to be canon, especially Draco, in The Trouble With Eternity.

So. Um. *clasps hands, blinks prettily* Would you consider being my canon-consultant beta? I can give you a sampler and if you want to email me about it, that's fine. I'm trying to do this right, and thoroughly, this time. So. Um. Yes, it would mean a great deal to me. Your feedback is so valuable, and I am delighted with your analyzing and reflection. Also, you seem to know very thoroughly what you want out of H and D being canon, and I would really like your opinion.

It's set at Durmstrang for the most part, largely involves Nicolas Flamel and a lot of blatant manipulation of his life, so he's probably not canon or historically accurate. Either way...

*smiles* If you decline, I understand. Just thought I'd humbly ask. :)

[bookshop.livejournal.com]

*smooches you for the mentions*

the more i long for really really canon harry & draco. i mean, i've been thinking about people's disillusionment with h/d stories, and how people are taking shortcuts & not really proving that these two characters, just the way they are, with no apologies or fumbling with facts, can be together. there's just something delicious about a fic that proves harry and draco, not like an equation, but more like a... philosophical argument, a thesis maybe.

You know, I've said this many times before, but you just very succintly pointed out *the* reason why I began to write LUW. I wanted to show canon!H/D getting together, and being together, without any "gimmicks" (term borrowed from EQ) such as a love potion, a binding spell, a magid bond, et cetera. I hope *wibble* that I've been able to pull that off. (What do you think?)

I've also said before, but it bears repeating, that if I had known about The Losing Side before I started to write LUW it might never have been written; but since Antenora (and Maya, too--god, I beta for the best writers on the planet) inspires me to write, I might have come up with something entirely different. God bless the fandom, and the mutual creativity it inspires.

Aja

[addictedkitten.livejournal.com]

You always have such interesting things to say.

::adds this to memories::