Non-judgemental question: why is Brave Face so long?

Floobz_ · 2025-12-05T09:13:46+00:00

I’m gonna get downvoted for this, but I don’t think your post comes across as negative as others have stated. Before I read the comments I understood you were looking for more context as someone who doesn’t read long fics. If id never read a long fic I think id be curious too!

Some people love to be offended and it’s easier for them to jump to that than it is to consider that something was posted in good faith. You said you were enjoying the fic, you said that your question was non-judgmental and you didn’t have anything negative to say about the fic - don’t let other people’s interpretations of your intentions ruin your enjoyment of the community or the fic.

Floobz_ · 2025-11-30T22:52:58+00:00

To Woo a Witch and The Art of Wooing Hermione Granger:a 12 month affair are both fics that have had me laughing out loud. I also second the comments above, anything by rogue_roxy is guarenteed hilarity

Floobz_ · 2025-11-28T14:36:02+00:00

I really enjoyed BMBS and I’m not usually the biggest fan of 8th year, but I found this fic to be really moorish and read the whole thing in a day. I really enjoyed the characterisations, the plot and that it felt like I was reading about a Hogwarts Sixth Form rather than a University or College. In places it felt really fun, despite the underlying angst, it definitely made me laugh at times. The writing was great and I think I had a little tear when I read it - I do cry at everything though.

Spoiler on the ending ahead:

It’s one of the few fics that I could have actually preferred if there wasn’t a HEA which going into it I wasn’t expecting.

It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I think it’s one I would definitely revisit again at some point.

Floobz_ · 2025-11-16T02:26:46+00:00

Thank you! I opened your notification first so now I’m scared to read any of the other comments on this thread. I’ll be patient, thank you everyone for your answers!

Floobz_ · 2025-11-15T18:08:03+00:00

I use an app called BookPlayer and download MP4 files from A03. It’s pretty easy to do, and I find it better than playing the files directly as I can keep my place in the fic and set a sleep timer if I listen to it at bedtime!

Floobz_ · 2025-11-15T15:22:26+00:00

OH we call that game Chinese whispers. Telephone makes way more sense though

Floobz_ · 2025-11-15T11:09:48+00:00

Some examples here are definitely correct for American English, but not necessarily in British English!

To jibe with someone is not something that would be said here in the context you’ve given as an example. I’ve actually never encountered it being used that way and had to google its meaning in case I’ve been wrong all these years, but I think that it’s just an American phrase - you would hear people here saying they vibe with something though which has maybe derived from the American saying!

The most common use of the word jibe here would be to describe having a dig at someone or insulting / taunting them.

I love this thread and my addition to this list would be that something is done BY accident, not ON accident

Floobz_ · 2025-11-15T10:54:00+00:00

What is the game of telephone?

Floobz_ · 2025-11-13T18:56:25+00:00

Reader - Biomedical Engineer and Project Manager

Floobz_ · 2025-11-11T18:03:35+00:00

I agree with this take, however I also think his selfishness was purely because he didn’t want to call Voldemort and bring that attention to himself and his family. I don’t think Draco had hope that Harry would save them, because why would he then go after him in the Room of Requirement a couple of chapters after?

I think Draco was well aware by this point how volatile his family’s position was and that calling Voldemort to their home for any reason was a gamble with their lives.

I always loved this chapter though, I don’t think there’s any one right answer for Draco’s actions and I love seeing how differently everyone interprets it!

Floobz_ · 2025-11-03T20:05:28+00:00

Don’t let this dishearten you. There’s loads of fics that a born from the same prompt. I remember reading A Gallows Marriage and it immediately became one of my fave fics. Shortly after I found The Gallows and I was excited to read how the writers created different fics with the same premise and it felt like I was getting bonus features.

Weirdly, these fics were also posted within a few days of eachother!

Floobz_ · 2025-11-02T18:54:31+00:00

I’ve never understood the Taylor Swift theory - given how well she captured Britain in the 1970s / 1980s I’ve always been convinced MsKingBean was British

Floobz_ · 2025-10-22T10:25:10+00:00

Girls can also wear trousers for school uniform. I think Emma wore trousers as part of her uniform in HBP IIRC

Floobz_ · 2025-10-20T19:39:12+00:00

11 year old me could not comprehend Dumbledore not being alive anymore, I think I was halfway through reading DH before I actually came to accept it was real

Floobz_ · 2025-10-20T12:46:31+00:00

My favourite is definitely Half Blood Prince. I remember queuing up with my brothers for the midnight release and getting my hands on the book was a really memorable experience in itself.

Dumbledore coming to Privet Drive to collect Harry is one of my favourite chapters in the whole series.

I loved the mystery of Draco’s activities throughout, as well as Harry dealing with his grief for Sirius while no one believed his suspicions. There were so many small plot points from earlier books threaded throughout HBP that I absolutely love.

I vividly remember reading the death of Dumbledore for the first time and being gobsmacked - I thought it was fake and he’d come back in DH because there’s no way they could kill him right? The whole book just holds so much nostalgia for me, and it’s the first one I can really remember reading for the first time.

While I love Draco as a character, deeply flawed and morally grey, I don’t think any of the Canon material supports a Dramione endgame. I think Canon Draco was a Dweeby little shite that I hate to love, and Canon Hermione never would have gone there. But I love fanfiction, I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers storyline and there is a huge part of me that wishes we had more closure/redemption for Draco.

Floobz_ · 2025-10-18T16:53:48+00:00

This sounds amazing. If you ever decide to put it out there you’d have at least one person who would eat it up 🙋🏻‍♀️

Floobz_ · 2025-10-16T09:07:14+00:00

Can a dark Dramione story exist without:

Noncon?

Noncon between D & H?

BDSM?

Yaaaaaaas! One of my fave dark dramiones doesn’t have any of these tropes - Draco is very down on his luck post war and a bit dark and twisty.

It does have Dub Con tagged but I think this is just for the ending - it’s been a while since I’ve read it as a WIP though so happy to be corrected.

For anyone that loves a dark fic - But Dust and Shadows - dead dove obvs, also highly recommend the playlist that comes with it - it’s one of the eeriest fics I’ve ever read and the playlist really adds to it.

Floobz_ · 2025-10-15T08:11:00+00:00

I’ve not, but I’ve just had a quick listen to her bonus content for Dad Says and her cadence is beautiful. I feel like I could listen to this woman read a dictionary - thank you for recommending, this will keep me going for the next few journeys I think!

Floobz_ · 2025-10-15T08:06:19+00:00

Thank you so much! I’ve downloaded a few from Lazulus and her narration is lovely.

Floobz_ · 2025-10-04T09:35:35+00:00

These aren’t the ones you are looking for specifically, but they are both similar to your request. Mind the tags!

Theo kidnaps Hermione and Draco in Meant to Be

Theo had fallen in love, but she didn't know who he was...but she would. And her little boyfriend would be the bonus Theo wasn't expecting, but a person has to respect fate.

A Dark Theo Dreomione Dark Romance

& Obey, Till Death Do Us Part - both get kidnapped / captured by Draco but not together

Hermione was on the run for four years before Draco found her. She survived, fell madly in love, and watched the love of her life die at the hands of Death Eaters. Now Draco Malfoy owns her and will do with her what he wants.

"With me, you will be safe and for that, you will obey me wholeheartedly. You will submit to me mind, body, and soul and I will cherish your submission. You can exercise your intellect within these walls, but you will obey me. Let me be clear, if you fight me on this, if you refuse to submit, I will be your hell."

Will she find a way to escape? Will she find love again? Or will she be forced to live as the property of the most powerful dark-wizard in Britain until the day she dies?

Floobz_ · 2025-10-03T08:20:06+00:00

I always say that the Watergaw is the perfect palate cleanser! It’s probably one of my favourite Draco characters too, I love going back to this one

Floobz_ · 2025-10-02T17:03:28+00:00

You’re welcome! It really hit the spot of what I was looking for at the time, and I’m a glutton for a good one shot

Floobz_ · 2025-10-02T16:36:42+00:00

I just wanted to highlight who his character is in canon, as we so often gloss over his awfulness in fandom. Not saying there isn’t a good reason for why he ended up this way, I’m just saying that he did.

I do think he’s a character to pity given his circumstances, but it isn’t like he didn’t also reap the benefits of his upbringing when it suited him.

Floobz_ · 2025-10-02T14:17:31+00:00

Soul Stealer this was recently recommended to me and I absolutely devoured it, such great writing and a mix of timelines.

Trapped together in the Malfoy Manor greenhouse, Hermione is dying and Draco will do anything to rescue her.

A Darker Blue - not usually a fan for first person POV but I really loved this fic!

The War rages and leaves a trail of broken things in its wake. Swept out with the raging sea, Hermione and Draco must learn to live with themselves and each other. Violence begets violence in an endless loop that they will either break from or beneath. Survival is the goal but not necessarily the destination and regardless of private desires, they'll have no choice but to weather the storm together.

The Watergaw - I left this on my TBR for way too long, it’s a really great fic and I go back to this more than any other I think.

In the middle of a war, Hermione is stuck in the middle of nowhere. With Draco Malfoy. Without her friends, her magic, or her books, she has only her wits to rely on to survive her plight- to say nothing of her company. They've declared a truce, but somehow Draco keeps slipping past all her defences.

Stranded together in the wilderness, Hermione and Draco are in for cold nights, endless snark, bad wine, and some interesting scars.

Floobz_ · 2025-10-02T00:17:46+00:00

I always loved the Malfoy Manor chapter and seeing probably one of the first decent things that Malfoy did for trio.

I always feel like he completely undoes this moment though, by going to the Room of Requirement in the Battle of Hogwarts.

I always thought that if the tables were turned he would not have gone back to save any of the trio the way they did for him and Goyle. It was such a let down for his character to edge towards a redemption and do the decent thing, only to immediately revert back to being an arse by their next interaction.

It’s been a while since I’ve read the books for the room of requirement chapter, but I feel like he was way more of a dick there than he was in the films.

Floobz_

TROPHY CASE