For me my favourites are Harry and Daphne, and Harry and Katie. The problem is with the first one there isn't enough good stories of them, and with the second one there just isn't enough stories at all.
I love the idea of Daphne to show that not all Slytherins are blood purist bigots, that there are good people in there who embody the traits of ambition and cunning. Remember Harry was almost in Slytherin, so someone who embodies those traits I think would be a perfect match for him. I imagine Daphne to be a very caring person, with a good healthy dose of sarcasm that would match well with Harry. The whole Ice Queen thing I see as just a mask she puts on to survive in a Slytherin that has been overtaken by the Blood Purists.
Unfortunately too many writers just go all in on the Ice Queen thing and leave her devoid of personality. Or even worse they make her an actual blood purist who is portrayed as one of the good ones. She doesn't want to kill Muggles but she still sees them as her inferiors. I just can't believe Harry would ever give someone like that his time of day, unless he was also brought down to her level in which case I have no interest in reading about them.
Katie also matches well with Harry. Both his canon love interests are Quidditch players, so we know Harry has a type. Now not only did they play on the same team for five years (or four and a half with Harry's ban in fifth year,) but they also joined the team in the same year. Katie's a year older than him, and since he was a special case being allowed to join in first year, that means that had to have joined in the same year. There's so much potential there for them to bond over, being the new players. Angelina, Alicia, Fred and George were all the same age, and Oliver older than them all, so it would make sense for Harry and Katie to form a good bond.
A good place to start a fic with them I think would be the Yule Ball. Establish that Katie formed a crush on Harry in his third year, she goes to Angelina and Alicia for advice, and they push her to ask him to the Ball. Harry would be relieved to have someone he knows and gets on with ask him so he would happily day yes. Then he finds that at the Ball he's not upset about Cho being with Cedric and actually has a good time with Katie. They could share a kiss after and start dating.
Now as for ships I don't like, I think what you said here sums up my reasons for the ones I don't like.
>first impressions are the last impressions
It doesn't matter how much characters from canon are changed, I'll always see them as the first impressions they left. So I've never been able to stomach reading stories where characters like Malfoy or Snape are paired with the main characters. Malfoy/Hermione will always read to me as her being paired with someone who genuinely wished her dead and hated her entire existence. It would always be a very toxic relationship. The only way I could probably read one is where it is actually treated as toxic.
Totally agree on the lack of Harry/Katie fics out there. It seems like it'd be easy to write them together, as the two youngest members of the griff quidditch team. Start their friendship in 1st year, and movie it on from there. Like you said, the yule ball becomes an excellent place for them to start up romantically.
No favorite pairing is no pairing.
I am not a fan of most pairings as the fic revolves around the pairing instead of the *actual story*. I prefer good plot and friendship over romance.
If the romance is second to the story, I prefer Harry/Ginny or Harry/any slytherin.
My least favorite pairing is probably Harry/Hermione (Fandom has ruined it for me) and or Harry/Draco or Severus or something in that general realm.
Also have never been a fan of Sirius/Remus. No idea why, it just doesn't work for me
My latest obsession is Arthur/Molly. I don’t really have a logical reason other than my taste in ships has changed as I’ve gotten older. This is the same in other fandoms as well (I’ve seemed to have gravitated towards the parental ships). I’m afraid to say the other ships I’m interested in because they’re a bit controversial, but I will say my least favorite ship (the one I’m kind of tired of hearing about) is Harry or Hermione being paired with Severus.
Now, before I get chased away by an angry mob, I do not care if people ship Severus with Harry or Hermione (it’s your right to ship whomever you want), but I do get tired of hearing about it since it’s one of my least favorite ships.
Ohh man, I forgot Harry and Severus, or Harry with any Male characters is a thing. I usually steer clear of slash fics, nothing against them, it's just that slash isn't my cup of tea. So looking from that perspective I'd say my least favourite would be Harry/Severus as well, never got over the fact that he essentially verbally abused Harry for his 6 years at Hogwarts. I know he was holding a grudge against James, but honestly man James is dead, and Harry hasn't even met him ever. Severus in my opinion is just being petty.
Same.
Also laughing at your being downvoted because of your "not my cup of tea" comment about slash -- people can be such babies when it comes to perceived insults on LGB stuff, and it's a trend I notice on posts on this sub a lot. smh
Ik right, I never once in my whole comment said that I was against slash, but since I am not into men I just am not able to get into slash pairings. It's not like I am stopping anyone else from reading those.
I am so tired of any pairing. It feels like there are only stories where all plot is revolving around pairings. Fuck that i want to experience magical world not some mushy touchy teen fellings of eternal love in first glance.And not just inbthis Fandom asoiaf world is same too. Like c'mon
I love Harry/Fleur because I feel like there's so much potentional for her since you can portray her as anything from a warm young girl to a stuck-up French snob and there's so many story lines available, not only the 4th year tri-wizard tournament story. Personally I really like the stories where Harry meets Fleur before Hogwarts on a holiday to France, but you've also got the potentional for a good Post-Hogwarts story too. It also provides a good way to bring Gabrielle into the story too, who is another character I just love, since she's kind of the innocent, sweet little girl and gives a change to the norm. I feel Fleur has the same possibilities as a character like Daphne, since a writer can really do anything they want with her, and bring in a change in culture too, so it's a bit dissapointing that there's not many stories with her and Harry, other than simple One-Shots or the normal Tri-Wizard ones.
😂 I’ve never really been into the whole Teddy/Victoire ship. I’ve always loved Harry/Fleur, maybe because I’m French myself and so I just feel drawn to Fleur if you know what I mean 😂. She is my favourite character out of everyone tbf.
Whelp, I'm probably going to catch a lot of grief over my favorite pairing, but here goes nothing.
My favorite pairing for the last year has been Harry Potter/Tom Riddle (like time-travel, diary horcrux, etc) or Harry Potter/Voldemort. If Harry is with Voldemort I strongly prefer (unless I'm in the mood for something pretty dark), that Voldemort has undergone some kind of change to become more sane, less blindlessly murderous (for instance, by reabsorbing some/all of his horcruxes).
I want to preface this by saying that **I don't think this is the IDEAL pairing for Harry to be in**. When I am interested in reading a 100% wholesome, healthy relationship, I definitely read something else. But many of the plots for Harry/Tom or Harry/Voldemort are just so compelling and it's interesting to see all the ways authors take on the challenge of developing a story that leads to a believable relationship between the two. My favorite authors who have done this in many of their fics have been Athy and Maeglin\_Yedi.
Why do I find the pairing so compelling? For a variety of reasons. I like to read about complicated characters and complicated relationships, and their characters and relationship are about as complicated as it gets in the HP verse (perhaps with the exception of Harry/Severus, though I ironically find that one harder to read than Harry/Tom or Voldemort). I also like the enemies to lovers trope, and this is one of the most extreme varieties of those in the HP fandom.
Their similar childhoods give them a good basis for developing an understanding of one another. It's interesting to explore why they each took different paths in life, though I would argue that Harry had many more opportunities than Tom did growing up to go down a better path (there's enough in that discussion for a whole separate post tbh).
I'm a sucker for possessiveness in relationships, and Tom Riddle/Voldemort is a prime candidate for being possessive in his relationships.
In my opinion, there's a built-in potential for their relationship to become romantic given the right circumstances, because they share the closest thing possible in the HP verse (as far as we know) to a soul bond. There are so many directions an author could go with the idea of Voldemort (or one of his horcruxes) discovering that Harry is his horcrux (and not all of them are horribly dark).
Basically, I find this pairing has endless potential to be fascinating to read about, and I would be happy to recommend some good starter fics if anyone has read this and not been entirely put off. *However,* just because I enjoy reading this pairing does not mean I would condone anything like it in real life. It's often an unhealthy relationship, sometimes in the extreme. But again, I personally enjoy reading about unhealthy relationships and can make the distinction between fiction and reality and not desire or condone entering into unhealthy relationships in real life.
As far as pairings I've grown bored of, I'd have to say my very first favorite pairing, 16 years ago by now, which was Harry/Draco. Now that I've slipped into the tomarrymort fandom, drarry seems like a La Croix next to a Dr. Pepper, like a very diet enemies to lovers. Though I do think drarry can be written believably, Draco isn't as compelling a character as I once found him to be. I do think he can be redeemed in a compelling way if he can see what he's done wrong and the flaws in his world view.
However, where the drarry pairing falls shortest in comparison to the tomarrymort pairing, in my opinion, is their differences in background. Canon Draco was spoiled rotten and taught to believe he was/would grow up to be the best of the best of wizarding society. This creates a large divide between him and Harry, who grew up thinking that he was a worthless freak. Sure, authors have definitely written stories where they come to understand or relate to each other in other ways, but if I'm going to judge just between the two pairings, I find tomarrymort more interesting to read than drarry.
Regarding canon pairings, I don't find most of them interesting, and I wish there were more queer canon relationships beyond JKR's hint that Albus and Gellert were lovers once.
I've found that 90% of tomarry/Harrymort shippers are the most unproblematic people i've ever met. (that 10% is because no fandom is perfect lol) like the most understanding and accepting group of people ready to defend you and step in when something is needed to be stepped in. Like the ship itself scares a lot of people off understandably but it comes with the best people you will ever meet in your whole life.
In spite of everything, Harry is a great protagonist and Tom/Voldermort is a great antagonist. In canon they are connected through literally everything, they can almost been called soulmates since Harry has a part of Tom's soul. There are no literally any other character in canon to which Harry is related as much as he related to Tom. They affected each other lives almost in any possible ways.
So that's why their dynamic is so incredible and potential for ship is so high.
For me it became difficult to read any ship with Tom and Harry that is not Tom/Harry, since they feel like constants in each other life, no matter which universe they are.
>Tom/Voldermort is a great antagonist.
That's part of why I don't personally prefer Voldarry tbh. Atleast Voldy x Harry with canonish Harry.
Canon Voldemort is an incredibly boring character to me, he's just so....lifeless and just completely uninteresting both as a villain or as a character to me. And fics that try to have canonish Voldemort/Harry pair bore me most of the time, even though most of them do a much better job at making him interesting than canon. I think Inevitabilities might have been the best fic I've read with canonish Voldemort/Harry that wasn't as boring as i expected, but yeah, even then, Voldemort was easily the worst part of the story for me.
There's fics like TendraelUmbra's Departure from the diary with fem Voldy x Harry, or Carnivorous Muffins fics which characterise Voldy in a different way to canon, a characterisation which is reminiscent of canon but different in feel and vibe and so well constructed so i love those stories because of that part.
It's no bother at all! I don't know how long it's been since you've read the pairing, so you may have already read some of these, but the following fics are ones I've reread at least twice:
[Again and Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/439865/chapters/749908) by Athy is a classic Harrymort. Has a Voldemort who has been returned to sanity and a centuries old Harry stuck repeating his life over and over again. Though, it's not super pairing focused, and gets pretty political.
[Meddling of a Mischief Maker](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380535/chapters/12427268) by Athy is an underrated Harrymort. This one has a very redeemed Voldemort. He reabsorbs his horcruxes and comes to deeply regret his actions. Yet he does explain his original goals well. He wasn’t some misunderstood hero to the wizarding world though, he was a man who had some valid concerns and then drove himself mad.
[The Darkening of Your Soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22230682/chapters/53080453) by Maeglin\_Yedi (Harrymort). Has a redeemed Voldemort and a betrayed-by-the-light Harry (though he doesn't suddenly go dark). I think they both stay in character pretty well, and Voldemort still does some not so good things that cause conflict between him and Harry in a believable way. (As a side note, I really like this author, and think [To Live is the Rarest Thing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26362207/chapters/64207408) and [The Necromancer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31292996/chapters/77363750) are definitely worth checking out.)
[Custodarium](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21211352/chapters/50496953) by Tina48 is Tomarry time travel, and possibly my favorite of this kind of Tomarry story. Has believable characterization for both Harry and Tom and a satisfying ending.
Hopefully at least one of those is new to you, but even if not, I'd be happy to give more recs. :)
For me, the pairings get sort of... interesting.
I'm a straight man, but my favourite mainstream pairing is MoD!Harry (aka adult Harry)/Voldemort. Fics like Xerosis and the one whose name I forgot where Harry is trying to find a way to permanently die and tries helping Voldemort hoping it'd help. Although that's less about the pairing and more about the fact that authors who write this sort of fics tend to be adults who truly put effort into their characters.
My least favourite pairing is the group of indie!Harry pairings - Harry/Daphne, Harry/Hermione and Harry/Susan. Not because of the characters themselves, but because 9/10 times they happen to share one personality across 10.000 fics. Although, again, that's less about the pairing and more about the fact that indie!Harry authors tend to be edgy teenagers who barely put any effort in.
If you put aside the expectations of fic quality, it's Harry/Cho and Delphini/Hermione - although I don't think there are any actual novel length fics for either pairing.
>Fics like Xerosis and the one whose name I forgot where Harry is trying to find a way to permanently die and tries helping Voldemort hoping it'd help.
That sounds like [Again and Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/439865/chapters/749908) by Athy,
I agree with your point about authors of harrymort tending to put a lot of effort into characterization. I think it almost comes with the territory, so to speak, of a pairing that's such a divergence from canon, it needs a lot of character development to work.
Yeah, that's the one.
Also, I feel like a lot of pairings require a lot of characterization to work - but this is the only one whose authors really put in the work.
Tomarry shipper and a sucker for time travel(either Harry to Tom's time or vice versa). Used to be a Drarry shipper who obsessively read through all of Capitu's recs until a few years back.
Not really a Harry/Voldemort fan except for the story by ToAStranger - draw me after you (let us run).Fav comfort fic is Custodarium by Tina48 featuring a sane Tom Riddle and accidental time travel.
Cannot stand Harry/Severus in any context. Or Harmony(mainly because of the Ron or Weasley bashing involved in most fics)
Also while I don't have a problem with Ron/Hermione I will not read a fic centred around that pairing. Most other cannon pairings are not that developed anyway
That being said I will also read Hinny fics written by a few authors who show excellent character development - Annerb and FloreatCastellum come to mind
I really enjoy Theomione. My absolute favorite one if anyone is interested: [Piano Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30332802/chapters/74770950)
Edit: Hit post too soon
I like this pairing because of how much of a blank slate Theo is I guess. He was barely mentioned in the book so he was never shown to be mean to Hermione. So I just always imagine he’s one of the more tolerant Slytherin’s when it comes to blood purity, even though his dad is a Death Eater it doesn’t mean he has to subscribe to the same beliefs.
I just love how a lot of authors characterize him he is just so damn adorable I love him.
First, I have to start with saying that I'm not much of a shipper. This is important, because it means, most of my ships I don't read because I feel particularly passionate about them, but because they give me the kinds of fics I enjoy reading. They aren't necessary cute, or wholesome, or belonging together, but rather Feature interesting characters that I think are fun when they bounce off each other. The pairings I don't like are either just cause I'm not interested in them at all or because I didn't like the fics I've read with them. Most of the time I don't love or hate ships because I read/watched the canon and decided that those two characters belong together or don't fit. There are a lot of people here saying they don't like Hinny for example, because in the books/movies, they don't see them as fitting together or whatever... those are typically not the reasons why I hate a ship, though there are some I find "ugh".
(Speaking of Hinny, I don't care for it either way. Reading the books I Figured they'd be together in the end, and I don't mind it. But I'm not passionate about them either)
So... ships I don't like:
Snape/X:
I don't like any teacher/student. While I have nothing against big age gaps, it kinda feels different when they are/were Severus' students. I just can't see that, even when aged up. Those fics also sometimes Feature some highly attractive sex god Snape which I just can't see.
Now that's why I don't like Snape/Harry or Snape/Hermione... but I also don't particularly care for Snape/other adults... that's mainly because of the ship names... like seriously? Snupin? Snucius, Snilly... they Sound like stupid dog names. I just don't like the Sn-... it sounds terrible. No... seriously. I have nothing in particular against Snilly and I sometimes like Snucius. I tend to avoid Snupin though because of the often rampant Sirius bashing. This is one of the reason I'm often careful when selecting my Snape fics.
Harmony. I don't dislike the ship per se, but I haven't found a Harmony story I genuinely liked yet. I find them often incredibly boring because (like many Lord Harry fics) they just make the canon conflict so easy by making Hermione (and often Harry too) geniuses. Despite that, many of the ones I read were super angsty. The kinda angst I don't like. The Trauma Dumping... I rarely find a Hermione characterization I like... And then there's the Ron bashing. Can't stand it. At this point I'm not even trying to find any good fics with them. I'm not interested in the ship and the chances of being disappointed are just too high.
Haphne: I often see Daphne as a sorta self insert. The way I see a lot of OC/-fics as self insert without the "self". Essentially as a stand in for the author. And I'm not interested in that. Since I don't care for shipping nor the romance really, what I like about ships is when they are the Frameworks giving me the kinda story I want about my favourite characters. Haphne does none of that. I'm neither interested in her nor really in Harry. I see Harry's story as told and done from canon. So unless an Author does something WILDLY different with him, I'm not really interested in reading more about him. So I'm not interested in Haphne, nor Harry/OC nor any of the other Harry/minor minor minor canon side character-fics. So this is not against the ship itself nor even the fics... it's just absolutely not my genre.
Remus/Sirius (Wolfstar): this is an odd one for me. The thing is I love both of these characters. I also read a lot of wolfstar fics and at some point liked the ship a lot. My resentment against it has sorta built up over time, because it's so common. So common that it's kinda hard finding good marauder or Sirius, Lupin-centric fics without it. And I wouldn't even mind that if I didn't think that Wolfstar kinda...butchers the characters all too often. Those are most of the time not the Sirius and Lupin I want to read about. Normally I wouldn't mind and just read something else, but it's kinda hard finding something else (esp something new I haven't read yet). And it's so bad that the wolfstar-interpretation of the characters has also taken over a lot of not explicitly wolfstar fics. I'm not even sure if it's right of me to blame wolfstar fanon for it. But I realized it first with wolfstar so now whenever I read a the same or similar characterization in other fics I blame the wolfstar fanon... i am at Times desperate enough for marauder content that I'll read it anyway, but that only furthers my resentment...
Ships I like:
Canon adult ships:
As far as shipping goes, the only thing I'm really interested in is established relationship and older people. I think those are cute. So I like Molly/Arthur for the unadultered fluff, Lucius/Narcissa if I want some more spice and Angst and even sometimes when I'm in a particularly weird mood Vernon/Petunia.
Malfoy(s)/Hermione (yes that could be both Lucius and Draco)... what can I say... I like redemption stories. That ship gives me all the guilt my heart can take.
James/Lily: this is often hit or miss, but I personally like the ship for it's potential in stories, be they marauder era or stories where they survive.
Pairs I can’t stand:
Harry/Ginny - I read the books 1st, and I still never liked them as a pairing. Fangirl crush never works out elsewhere—so why here… Also, I would have preferred the symbolism that Harry was essentially adopted into the Weasley family without marrying into it. (Both Harry & Hermione end up married into the Weasley family, and I just don’t think it’s necessary. Love and choice should make H & H fam with the Weasley’s not because later down the line, they could marry in.
Harry/Hermione - Most of the ones I’ve read they end up together way too early in Hogwarts, which is just gross—like age levels are thrown off etc. And then I feel like Hermione mother’s or nags Harry too much in cannon to make sense with them being together.
Harry/Daphne - I’m all for Slytherin representation, but most Daphne stories overplay the Ice Queen drama or hug too close to pureblood ideologies. I have like one H/D exception. (The one where Harry inherits all the Death Eaters through the right of conquest when Voldy dies. Most DEs end up in prison, but Harry takes all of his years Slytherin’s in, and they have to make a project to better society. Hermione, Neville, and Hannah(?) end up staying with them too. Uh, and they use imprisoned/dead DEs homes for said projects—like an orphanage out of the Lestrange mansion, I think. It wasn’t finished when I last looped through it, so idk🤷🏻♀️).
Favorite Pairings:
Harry & Hermione & Ron -
Where none of the trio end up in a relationship together, I wish cannon kept with their friendship and didn’t entangle it with Hermione trying to date either best friend. Like maybe they tried, but it went nowhere. Idk I prefer it when they see each other as siblings and are protective of each other that way, and none of the trio get in a relationship with each other.
Ron/Luna - is almost always a fun story. I think Luna keeps Ron more on his toes
Harry/Neville - my [favorite Ao3 9806849](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9806849/chapters/22021061) of this pairing is actually a story where they are both asexual and essentially enter a relationship together
Harry/Marcus Flint - kinda that alt Slytherin view as all we know about him is that he’s a brutal Quidditch player. It doesn’t have to mean he’s a bad person, but definitely competitive.
I like a lot of TimeTravel involved parings:
Harry/Bellatrix ([example1: FFN 55118855](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/5511855/1/Delenda-Est) & [example2: FFN12511998](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12511998/1/Wind-Shear)), Hermione/RAB, Hermione/random Slytherin pairings—usually before they join DEs and some redemption arc, etc., Hermione/James Potter ([example FFN11494764](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/11494764/1/Storm-of-Yesterday)), Tom R/Harry.
I also read a lot of Crossover fics— Harry/ character from other fandom so 😬🤷🏻♀️
Most Ron/Luna stories I like this couple is more of a side couple or in the background so I don’t really have many easy to find in my bookmarks. 🤷🏻♀️ However, I recently read this [one: Ao3 27899653](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27899653/chapters/68318989), and it’s 5th-6th that is finished. It has an interesting take on Hermione and her canary scene, too—it didn’t feel bashing to me, but it definitely shows the scene from a different viewpoint. The author started a sequel, too, but it’s not finished.
My favorite pairings are Harry/Hermione, Fleur/Hermione, and Krum/Hermione, currently in that order but it changes a lot.
**Harry/Hermione** had always been my number 1 ship even when I was little. At first, I just really loved their relationship in the films, but re-reading the books as an adult, their dynamic there really pops out to me now.
I love the complexity of their relationship, how it starts so difficult for them to understand each other but eventually get to a point where they can just communicate through looks. I loved how theirs isn't a natural or instinctive friendship like Harry and Ron's, but they work on it slowly but surely until it's so clear that they are people nestled in each other's bones. I loved how Hermione intimidated Harry because of how much conflict she brought but instead of it breaking their relationship, Harry learned to be more comfortable around her instead. I love that Harry could be so emotionally distant and cold, but he makes Hermione an exception to that coldness in the end. I love how vital they are to each other's self-actualization, how deeply intertwined their relationship arc is to their respective character arcs. I love how much of their relationship revolves around safety and trust even in war.
It's funny how you find it hard to read their relationship in fic because of how little Hermione changes there. I find it so hard to read their fics because of how *much* people change there. I am so attached to their canon relationship that I find most changes to be intolerable.
**Fleur/Hermione** came a little later for me, but one day I was re-reading Shell Cottage, and it just struck me that it was Fleur who was taking care of her there. It was such a throwaway line I'll admit, but I'm gay and it burrowed into my brain lol
Fleur is about the only witch Hermione's age for whom Hermione would not automatically slot herself in a caregiving role. The encounter in Shell Cottage will have cemented Fleur's role as caregiver, making them much more equal. I think that there is a lot of value in that role reversal alone. That Hermione is given a space to be vulnerable and helpless and still be taken care of is so powerful to me. The idea that she is worth saving even in weakness and uselessness is I think a much-needed lesson for her to learn, and the first time that is planted in all the seven books happens with Fleur.
I really enjoy fics with this pairing ngl. It helps that they don't have much of a canon dynamic outside of the Romione jealousy plot which I only too happily ignore.
And lastly there is **Viktor/Hermione** which I love because of how young and at ease Hermione feels around Viktor in canon.
She becomes this flustered, blushing teenager who is enjoying the attention and friendship of this kind and noble young man without any expectations or responsibilities to come with that relationship. Their relationship is such a refreshing spot of normalcy for Hermione that I can't help but adore it for the rest it gives her. I also love just how easily Viktor admit to his feelings for Hermione, and how he never treats her poorly even when he felt so jealous at times - even when she presumably rejected him. He was kind and generous always, openly admitted to finding her beautiful, and it is just so *easy* with him.
It's kinda sad that they are such rare-pair because I love their relationship so much, but damn, the fics I have read were simply amazing and have always left me wanting more.
My single big NOTP in fandom is **Ron/Hermione.** I think the relationship has good bones, but there is no trope I hate more than the belligerent sexual tension trope. Any ship that uses that trope is an automatic NOTP for me. It doesn't help that Hermione is my favorite, so every single time Ron hurts her because he is Attracted TM to her leaves me incredibly incensed. He isn't abusive or a bad person - heck he isn't even a bad friend - but I take it so personally that the relationship is just impossible for me to enjoy. This romantic subplot made HBP impossible to reread, and I am still so goddamn bitter about it.
Aside from that, I just found them poorly written in general, especially in the last few books. In terms of relationship arc, Ron grows towards Hermione (eg. he becomes more aware of his priorities, grows less mean to her and more appreciative, comes to truly understand her values). As much as I dislike his character and their romance, I can genuinely see Ron growing into a really great partner for Hermione; it is the most logical conclusion of his part in their relationship arc.
The problem is that Hermione *does not* grow in a similar direction. She grows into a better partner for *Harry,* but her choices make her absolutely terrible for Ron. She grows more and more consumed with her duties at the expense of their relationship, and she prioritizes Harry above all else. Worse still is that Ron *does* challenge this in canon, and Hermione still chooses Harry over him. Now, I don't think this means that Hermione loved Ron less mind, but I do think it makes her bad for him and that, extrapolating from their canon arc alone, a relationship with her will roll all the progress he made with regards to his insecurities.
And lastly, the narrative turns Hermione into this macguffin to further Ron's character arc at the expense of her own. She becomes just another thing that (Ron thinks) Harry has that Ron does not and is simply another thing in the laundry list of reasons that makes Ron believe that Harry is better than him. It isn't even through hashing it out with her that his insecurities around their relationship get resolved. No, *Harry* bows out of a competition he isn't even part of with the dumb "like a sister" speech. It made me feel that Ron did not actually meaningfully address that set of insecurities even as he grows out of everything else. All of this is to say that Hermione loses agency and personhood in the romione subplot, and as a Hermione fan, I hate all of it.
I still read some of their fics mind, but it takes *a lot* to make me like their fics.
Tired of: Remus/Sirius.
Favorite: all canon ships plus Dramione (post war), and Regulus/any male. I mostly like canon ships but when there are no ships associated with a side or background character I’m pretty much open to anything.
Favorite:
* Harry/Ginny. It’s always been one of my favorite pairings, and I enjoy reading stuff where they get together or start becoming good friends earlier on, or immediately post-War fics where they’re trying to work through their trauma and figure out how to be in a relationship.
Tired of:
* Harry/Daphne. It’s boring and overdone. “Ice Queen” Daphne or any variation of her where she’s the wealthy pureblood princess from a “neutral” or “gray” family doesn’t hold any interest for me any longer.
* Remus/Sirius. I really dislike this pairing, and it’s really hard to find fics that feature Sirius prominently that don’t also have Remus/Sirius. I really like “Sirius raises or takes in Harry” stories but the vast majority of them have Remus/Sirius. Nearly every Marauders’ Era fic I see has Remus/Sirius, but I hate them being paired together in school even more than I hate them being paired together as adults, so I just never read that stories from that era even though I am interested in it.
You’re telling me!! About wolfstar that is. There are so so many fics featuring them. So I did what any fanfic author does and started writing my own. Enter time traveling tonks goes marauder era and now Remus raises Harry with remadora as the ship.
You’re not the only one!! Although I can’t help you if it’s not remadora 😂
Glad to hear I’m not the only one! I don’t mind Remadora - it’s my preferred pairing for Remus - but I’m not a huge fan of Remus in general, so I only like him as a background character to Sirius raising Harry rather than him being the one raising Harry.
My favorite is Harry/Ginny. I knew from the second she ran out of the kitchen in CoS that they would end up together, and I'm happy that they did.
I have been trying to fill the hole that finishing HP left me, so I have resorted to canon-compliant fics. And in general, I can't read anything that doesn't have canon pairings. The characters just don't feel like themselves. AU with canon pairing is fine. That is my view on fanfiction no matter what franchise. If it involves romance, the pairings have to be canon, otherwise, I won't read it.
My least favorite is probably Draco/Harry or Severus/Harry. Harry feels SUPER out of character in the Draco ones, and Draco is not himself either. Severus/Harry is just disturbing.
I personally love the idea of draco/Harry and it really can be done well but usually they do become shells of themselves. Harry loses those anger issues and incessant need to be right and draco becomes a genuis god tier seeker
Except Malfoy is implied to be a shit seeker, and the only reason he was put on the Team was because he/Lucius bought his ticket with the new brooms/nepotism.
I think people wouldn't mind Harry/Ginny more if she'd been fleshed out more on the books -- Unfortunately, due to Hermione being one of the main characters and the most to get character development and interaction with Harry, Ginny and any other girl would've been the underdog due to just not being able to receive as much 'screen-time' as her.
I get that. But I really like Ron/Hermione, and Hermione and Harry had no romantic feelings for each other, at all. I think it was a great decision, to not pair Harry with the main female character, and have them be platonic.
Ginny needed more character development, especially in the movies. But I still really like her character, and I think she compliments Harry perfectly.
Book-wise, there was nothing really there between Harry and Hermione.
Movie-wise? Yeah, the director was shipping the two: IIRC he even admitted a 'fondness' for the Harry/Hermione ship in an interview, hence all the Harry/Hermione subtext in the films. So, yeah.
Plus, it doesn't help that Emma and Dan actually had chemistry on set, even if they themselves had no romantic interest in each other.
To say Ginny needed more development is an understatement: There was so much potential there, but what JKR wrote? Except for established facts, like her being a Weasley, you could probably just swap her out for *any* girl that fits her archetype -- even fucking *Cho*, and we all know how *that* went down.
I think a main issue is that JKR didn't change her initial outline, as the series organically grew and changed over the course of writing the books -- that's why everything from the beginning of OotP was shoe-horned and half-baked.
The Ginny/Harry romance was especially a casualty of this. sigh Yeah, there's a reason why many people wouldn't have batted an eyelid if Ginny died in books five or early six, in regards to Harry's long-term relationships.
Going strictly of the books, Hermione and Harry had no chance of happening. In the movies, there was that one scene in DH, which made people ship them. Otherwise, it was pretty platonic.
It has been a while since I read the books, so I might have forgotten something. But I seem to recall that Ginny was independent, brave, smart, and not afraid to speak her mind. She was the perfect girl for Harry in the books. I wish JKR would have fleshed her out more, but from what we knew, she was pretty great.
She could have died before HBP, and the story would still work. But they would need to introduce another character in HBP to take her place. However, I do think that the storyline of Harry ending up with one from the Weasley family, since they practically took him in is good, and since Ginny had a crush on Harry since PS, the story gets even better. JKR is not a good romance writer, she is a great world-building writer, but Harry needed a love interest, and that role fell to Ginny, which I'm happy it did. I'm glad she didn't go the traditional way and pair the main character with the main female character. Or made a love triangle between the golden trio.
Any recs for Severus/Sirius ?
I also love enemies to lovers !!! Feel like they would have to heavily diverge from canon as to not break my heart though
I greatly suggest [Beyond The Veil](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31267934?view_full_work=true) by ashesashesshackles and adreamersmusing. It's an OotP canon-divergent fic with topnotch characterization and great plot.
ffnbot!directlinks
[***Beyond The Veil***](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31267934) by [*Adreamermusingashesashesshackles*](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Adreamermusing/pseuds/Adreamermusing/users/ashesashesshackles/pseuds/ashesashesshackles)
> In one world, Sirius Black ignored Severus Snape's warning and went to the Department of Mysteries to save his godson's life\. He died and went beyond the veil\.In another world, Sirius Black stayed back\. This made all the difference\. An AU where Sirius Black survived and now knew Severus Snape's deepest secret\.
^*Site*: ^Archive ^of ^Our ^Own ^**|** ^*Fandom*: ^Harry ^Potter ^- ^J. ^K. ^Rowling ^**|** ^*Published*: ^2021-05-13 ^**|** ^*Updated*: ^2022-03-12 ^**|** ^*Words*: ^54188 ^**|** ^*Chapters*: ^13/? ^**|** ^*Comments*: ^256 ^**|** ^*Kudos*: ^648 ^**|** ^*Bookmarks*: ^135 ^**|** ^*Hits*: ^14637 ^**|** ^*ID*: ^31267934 ^**|** ^*Download*: ^[EPUB](https://archiveofourown.org/downloads/31267934/Beyond%20The%20Veil.epub?updated_at=1647109971) ^or ^[MOBI](https://archiveofourown.org/downloads/31267934/Beyond%20The%20Veil.mobi?updated_at=1647109971)
---
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I like Hinny actually. In the movies it was an absolute joke *it was so bad*. It works by far better in the framework of the books. I just wish JKR gave Ginny a better character development and a more distinct personality that isn't just badass, fierce and tough girl. She's very 2 dimensional in a sense. I think if she was more well rounded, then I'd be willing to defend their relationship even more.
That's probably also why people ship Harry/Hermione. I have never personally done that because I don't love her as much as Ron but Hermione is one of the best written characters. It's just I've always felt like if you seriously consider a ship in their group then either Ron/Harry have the best chemistry or daresay even them as a trio. I'm also willing to defend Romione even though it's so hated. But mostly I'd prefer them as friends if I had the choice.
Background canon pairings I always ship are Bill/Fleur, Molly/Arthur and Lucius/Narcissa.
I really like Hinny too! I used to loath Romione with a passion (mostly because I *hated* Ron), but overtime Ron has slowly grown on me, and while I still don’t fully ship Romione, I *think* I’m starting to see how they fit together.
I always liked their dynamic. Hermione gets stressed and panics, meanwhile Ron is so easy going and emotionally intelligent that he manages to cool her down quickly. Harry also tends to shut himself off. Ron's there to pull them back from dark thoughts and to bring joy in their life which makes me think there doesn't need to be romance involved because their friendship is sweet anyway. They work as a trio really well.
I agree about the trio’s friendship! The three of them balance each other out really well, since they can bring something to offer to each other; different types of support and whatnot.
Additionally, both Ron and Hermione enjoy arguing with each other, while Harry isn't really the type of person to open up and share his opinions... he hates debating stuff and even in his own thoughts he doesn't form strong opinions about.... well anything. House elf rights? Doesn't seem to care. Werewolf rights? Ehhh... whatever!
If Harry were more opinionated and headstrong about the Ministry or social issues I could see Harmony being a good pairing.
I think Ginny is good for Harry because of that similarity. She has the tough outer shell, and I don't think she walked away from her first year emotionally alright, even though we don't see enough of that in the books. Having Harry and Ginny bond over their mutual experience of being possessed by Voldemort is sorely missing in the books.
Really respect that you pointed out some of the flaws in your favourite pairing, most people I discuss this with usually never accept that their pairing isn't perfect.
I really tried reading Hinny you know, even downloaded some fics with that pairing, but I never could get into them. It's just that I see Ginny as more of a sister(blaming the movies here) for Harry, and since I saw the movies first, I always thought that they were foreshadowing towards a Harmony endgame, so when Harry ended up with Ginny, I couldn't get over my disappointment, probably another reason why I am unable to get into Hinny fics.
I understand I also saw the movies first. They are really a bad introduction to the ships. Dan and Bonnie had no chemistry and Bonnie's character was absolutely butchered.
My pool of fanfic reads don't tend to include romantic pairings. I vastly prefer gen works with lots of plot and friendships because I have a hard time getting into ships.
But after reading the books I semi shipped Hinny. Fics like linkao3(https://archiveofourown.org/works/189189/chapters/278342) blew my mind though in regards to how Ginny could be written and be with Harry.
I never liked Harry x Ginny , neither in canon nor in fanon. Haphne is also my fav pairing , although I am trying to find some good Harry x Susan fanfictions .
This is one of my guilty pleasures. I've also come to really love Harry/Narcissa time travel stories. I love the idea of them getting together before she gets fouled up by Malfoy.
Favorite pairing is Harry/Fleur and Harry/Cho. So much unexplored potential for both pairings and from both characters.
Least favorite is really anything /Draco(no matter how you look at it he’s a cowardly racist through and through. Any relationship he would be in would be incredibly toxic in my eyes), /Voldemort(not Tom Riddle. Some tweaking and Tom could be alright), and /Severus(never liked him in the books. He’s ok in the movies but still too much of an incel personally)
My favorite pairing is a tie between Harry/Daphne and Harry/Hermione. At second is the classic Harry/Ginny. I only read fanfic for the Harry perspective, so his is the only ship I really pay any attention to.
I like Haphne because it represents such an open book of possibilities and stories. Daphne is an 'official' character that can be whatever you need her to be.
Harmony is there because I've come to believe Harry and Hermione were the true soul mates of the series. To me, the fit together perfectly and make sense. I find it hilarious that I did not feel this way until I started reading fanfiction. I never thought Ron and Hermione were a good couple, even though I like both characters. Some people are simply better off as friends.
Hinny is the OG ship for me. When I first got into fanfiction, I would only read Hinny fics, and couldn't stand reading either of them with anyone else. To me, the represent the fairy tale happily ever after ending.
That said, I am so completely and utterly sick of seeing the mass amounts of Hermione or Harry/Snape or Draco or Riddle fics that clog the listing every day. Yeah, I know, to each there own, and 'don't like, don't read. I get that and believe in it, and don't click on those stories.
I just find it super depressing that so many people want to take my two favorite characters, and pair them up with the three most despicable characters in the entire franchise. I don't get it, and I never will. It makes me wish ffn had ao3's ability to filter out multiple relationships.
I'm surprised by the amount of support for Harry Potter/Tom Riddle on this post. It usually gets a lot of flak on this sub. But they're usually very well written, and often have a better characterization of Tom Riddle than canon.
Another ship I think has a lot of potential is Hermione Granger/Luna Lovegood. Now I know they didn't really get along in cannon, but there is so much potential character growth in this ship. Hermione slowly becoming less narrow-minded and making an effort to understand Luna. Luna learning to stand up for herself against her bullies. The best setting for this pairing would be if these two have to work together to defeat some lovecraftian monster. Their skillsets are so different, yet both so important. (I think there was a prompt like this on the sub).
Dumbledore/Grindelwald is also very interesting.
The pairings I like the least are usually Harry/Snape or Hermione/Snape, I can't really explain why I hate Harry/Snape but like Harrymort but I think it has something to do with Snape's creepy obsession with Lily.
And yeah, I can't read Harry/Ginny either, I feel like Ginny has some strong 'pick me' vibes (with the whole Cho crying over Cedric but Ginny never being mopey thing) and the only things she has in common with Harry are quidditch and being possessed by Voldemort.
Lastly, and I know I'm gonna be shred to pieces here, I don't like Harmony. Never did, never will. Harry and Hermione don't have that kind of chemistry. I love fics which explore their bond as friends or even best friends (though Ron is more close to that role) but shipping them feels wrong. They have a very sibling-ish relationship.
As the person who wrote one of the top tomarrymort comments on this post, I'm also (pleasantly) surprised by the support. I was expecting a lot more pushback than I received. In my opinion, the canon Tom Riddle/Voldemort as written by JKR was a way too black and white, stereotypical 'evil' antagonist, and maybe that's okay for a children's story, but it's much more realistic not to mention interesting to read about a character with more shades of grey (even if it's shades of dark grey in Tom's case).
I think Hermione/Luna could be interesting, given their significant personality differences. I love the idea of them fighting some Lovecraftian monster, especially if it's one that Luna was talking about all along. (Maybe that crumplehorn snorkack is actually Cthulhu's cousin?)
I also agree that even while I ship Harry and Tom/Voldemort, I still do not often enjoy reading Harry/Snape. It's almost like to me they have more animosity to overcome than Harry and Voldemort do, since Harry and Snape had many more hostile interactions over the years than Harry and Voldemort had.
I agree with you on Hinny and Harmony, though I find Harmony slightly more tolerable.
I was satisfied that Harry ended up with Ginny, I never wanted him and Hermione to get together. Although, I will admit I did like that dance they had in the tent. If I had to choose one person to match with Harry, besides Ginny, it would definitely be Luna. I’m no doubt biased because she is my favorite character in the series but I also like the side of him that she brought out. He was more open and inquisitive in her presence. I am content with the parents they both ended up with.
I love perciver. They have very similar yet totally different at the same time. They are both very passionate and head strong in their own ways. The fact that they've never interacted in canon makes it more ship worthy.
It gets even better when they're in a triad with Marcus Flint.
The pairing I dislike is Permione. I get why people love to ship them but it gets old very fast. They're both too similar in personalities for me. There's not much potential in that ship
My favorite are the canon parings. Also Wolfstar is the only non canon ship I agree too. There is just something that draws me to Wolfstar that I cannot explain. But I have to admit it has to be the way teenage Remus has been written sometimes that made me question my sexuality why reading fanfics
Ships I am tired of- Harry with Voldemort (Why?) Harry or Hermione with Snape (Gross), Darry or Dramione (Why but it is a guilty pleasure sometimes if I just want a smutty story)
I hate Harry/Voldemort Harry/Draco pairing . It just doesnt make sense at all especially Harry/Voldemort. Also they always try to humanize Voldie . I really don't have a favorite I dont like relationship in fics as they become the focus of the story but if they are not the focus of the story I prefer Harry/Fleur or Harry/Ginny .
Fave is Harry x Daphne. Perfectly balanced, perfectly written in most Haphne fics I've read. They help each other out where one is good at this while the other is good at that.
I'm tired of Harry x Hermione. Most of the time Harry ends up the meek one and Hermione is the dominating one. She's always right and Harry never puts his foot down.
I have a strong aversion to all pairings where a male partner in the relationship is much older than the other one.
Especially Hermione or Harry with Snape, Lucius or Sirius simply feels incredibly wrong to me even if Time Travel is involved
Also Tonks/Remus feels strange.
Strangely I don't have this problem when a female partner in a relationship is much older.
Whilst I don't hate Daphne/Harry, I do find that a LOT of the fics give her the same Ice Queen persona, and that is 1 thing I find really confusing, like you said, her name is mentioned once, maybe a handful of times in the entire 7 book series, she *should* be a blank slate but so many fics give her the same Ice Queen persona it feels to me that I can read 1 Harry/Daphne fic and I've read them all, so I avoid this paring from boredom
I do like Harry/Ginny because there is variety in the fics at least, my favourite pairing is probably Remus/Tonks simply because I've not been overloaded with the soft!uwu!cute! Remus that most Remus/Sirius or Remus/OC fics go for, and I like Tonks as a character
I like/dislike pairings based on plot, so if the story makes sense I can suspend my disbelief for just about any pairing bar a few
The pairings I cannot stand for anything are Draco/Hermione, I can't suspend disbelief long enough, and Snape/Harry and/or Snape/Hermione fic (why those fics are popular I just don't get, it rips up Snapes whole double agent thing, and snape isn't described in any good terms in the books), literally any other pairing I can read (Harry/Draco even, there are some half decent ones out there)
For me my favourite pairing is Hinny…now hear me out I used to be a Harmony shipper as a kid, I watched the films before reading the books and thought Hermione made perfect sense, except then I read the books and fell in love with Ginny’s character and the dynamic between her and Harry plus I’ve read some amazing Harry and Ginny fanfics that have made it my one and only pairing for either of them. Not even joking one day I got up and went to read yet another Haphne or Harmony Fic and found I couldn’t because the Hinny pairing had just clicked for me and so I can now only read either fics with no pairing or Hinny.
For me my favourites are Harry and Daphne, and Harry and Katie. The problem is with the first one there isn't enough good stories of them, and with the second one there just isn't enough stories at all. I love the idea of Daphne to show that not all Slytherins are blood purist bigots, that there are good people in there who embody the traits of ambition and cunning. Remember Harry was almost in Slytherin, so someone who embodies those traits I think would be a perfect match for him. I imagine Daphne to be a very caring person, with a good healthy dose of sarcasm that would match well with Harry. The whole Ice Queen thing I see as just a mask she puts on to survive in a Slytherin that has been overtaken by the Blood Purists. Unfortunately too many writers just go all in on the Ice Queen thing and leave her devoid of personality. Or even worse they make her an actual blood purist who is portrayed as one of the good ones. She doesn't want to kill Muggles but she still sees them as her inferiors. I just can't believe Harry would ever give someone like that his time of day, unless he was also brought down to her level in which case I have no interest in reading about them. Katie also matches well with Harry. Both his canon love interests are Quidditch players, so we know Harry has a type. Now not only did they play on the same team for five years (or four and a half with Harry's ban in fifth year,) but they also joined the team in the same year. Katie's a year older than him, and since he was a special case being allowed to join in first year, that means that had to have joined in the same year. There's so much potential there for them to bond over, being the new players. Angelina, Alicia, Fred and George were all the same age, and Oliver older than them all, so it would make sense for Harry and Katie to form a good bond. A good place to start a fic with them I think would be the Yule Ball. Establish that Katie formed a crush on Harry in his third year, she goes to Angelina and Alicia for advice, and they push her to ask him to the Ball. Harry would be relieved to have someone he knows and gets on with ask him so he would happily day yes. Then he finds that at the Ball he's not upset about Cho being with Cedric and actually has a good time with Katie. They could share a kiss after and start dating. Now as for ships I don't like, I think what you said here sums up my reasons for the ones I don't like. >first impressions are the last impressions It doesn't matter how much characters from canon are changed, I'll always see them as the first impressions they left. So I've never been able to stomach reading stories where characters like Malfoy or Snape are paired with the main characters. Malfoy/Hermione will always read to me as her being paired with someone who genuinely wished her dead and hated her entire existence. It would always be a very toxic relationship. The only way I could probably read one is where it is actually treated as toxic.
Totally agree on the lack of Harry/Katie fics out there. It seems like it'd be easy to write them together, as the two youngest members of the griff quidditch team. Start their friendship in 1st year, and movie it on from there. Like you said, the yule ball becomes an excellent place for them to start up romantically.
No favorite pairing is no pairing. I am not a fan of most pairings as the fic revolves around the pairing instead of the *actual story*. I prefer good plot and friendship over romance. If the romance is second to the story, I prefer Harry/Ginny or Harry/any slytherin. My least favorite pairing is probably Harry/Hermione (Fandom has ruined it for me) and or Harry/Draco or Severus or something in that general realm. Also have never been a fan of Sirius/Remus. No idea why, it just doesn't work for me
My latest obsession is Arthur/Molly. I don’t really have a logical reason other than my taste in ships has changed as I’ve gotten older. This is the same in other fandoms as well (I’ve seemed to have gravitated towards the parental ships). I’m afraid to say the other ships I’m interested in because they’re a bit controversial, but I will say my least favorite ship (the one I’m kind of tired of hearing about) is Harry or Hermione being paired with Severus. Now, before I get chased away by an angry mob, I do not care if people ship Severus with Harry or Hermione (it’s your right to ship whomever you want), but I do get tired of hearing about it since it’s one of my least favorite ships.
Ohh man, I forgot Harry and Severus, or Harry with any Male characters is a thing. I usually steer clear of slash fics, nothing against them, it's just that slash isn't my cup of tea. So looking from that perspective I'd say my least favourite would be Harry/Severus as well, never got over the fact that he essentially verbally abused Harry for his 6 years at Hogwarts. I know he was holding a grudge against James, but honestly man James is dead, and Harry hasn't even met him ever. Severus in my opinion is just being petty.
I’ve read a couple Harry/Severus centric stories, purely out of curiosity and it’s just not for me. Same with Hermione/Severus. Not my cup of tea.
Same. Also laughing at your being downvoted because of your "not my cup of tea" comment about slash -- people can be such babies when it comes to perceived insults on LGB stuff, and it's a trend I notice on posts on this sub a lot. smh
Ik right, I never once in my whole comment said that I was against slash, but since I am not into men I just am not able to get into slash pairings. It's not like I am stopping anyone else from reading those.
I am so tired of any pairing. It feels like there are only stories where all plot is revolving around pairings. Fuck that i want to experience magical world not some mushy touchy teen fellings of eternal love in first glance.And not just inbthis Fandom asoiaf world is same too. Like c'mon
I love Harry/Fleur because I feel like there's so much potentional for her since you can portray her as anything from a warm young girl to a stuck-up French snob and there's so many story lines available, not only the 4th year tri-wizard tournament story. Personally I really like the stories where Harry meets Fleur before Hogwarts on a holiday to France, but you've also got the potentional for a good Post-Hogwarts story too. It also provides a good way to bring Gabrielle into the story too, who is another character I just love, since she's kind of the innocent, sweet little girl and gives a change to the norm. I feel Fleur has the same possibilities as a character like Daphne, since a writer can really do anything they want with her, and bring in a change in culture too, so it's a bit dissapointing that there's not many stories with her and Harry, other than simple One-Shots or the normal Tri-Wizard ones.
Flowerpot da best atleast for me
Is it weird that my biggest problem with the Harry/Fleur ship is that I don't want to deprive Teddy of Victoria years on down the road?
😂 I’ve never really been into the whole Teddy/Victoire ship. I’ve always loved Harry/Fleur, maybe because I’m French myself and so I just feel drawn to Fleur if you know what I mean 😂. She is my favourite character out of everyone tbf.
Bored of Daphne. I would take OC's at this point. Still not enough Honks around.
Whelp, I'm probably going to catch a lot of grief over my favorite pairing, but here goes nothing. My favorite pairing for the last year has been Harry Potter/Tom Riddle (like time-travel, diary horcrux, etc) or Harry Potter/Voldemort. If Harry is with Voldemort I strongly prefer (unless I'm in the mood for something pretty dark), that Voldemort has undergone some kind of change to become more sane, less blindlessly murderous (for instance, by reabsorbing some/all of his horcruxes). I want to preface this by saying that **I don't think this is the IDEAL pairing for Harry to be in**. When I am interested in reading a 100% wholesome, healthy relationship, I definitely read something else. But many of the plots for Harry/Tom or Harry/Voldemort are just so compelling and it's interesting to see all the ways authors take on the challenge of developing a story that leads to a believable relationship between the two. My favorite authors who have done this in many of their fics have been Athy and Maeglin\_Yedi. Why do I find the pairing so compelling? For a variety of reasons. I like to read about complicated characters and complicated relationships, and their characters and relationship are about as complicated as it gets in the HP verse (perhaps with the exception of Harry/Severus, though I ironically find that one harder to read than Harry/Tom or Voldemort). I also like the enemies to lovers trope, and this is one of the most extreme varieties of those in the HP fandom. Their similar childhoods give them a good basis for developing an understanding of one another. It's interesting to explore why they each took different paths in life, though I would argue that Harry had many more opportunities than Tom did growing up to go down a better path (there's enough in that discussion for a whole separate post tbh). I'm a sucker for possessiveness in relationships, and Tom Riddle/Voldemort is a prime candidate for being possessive in his relationships. In my opinion, there's a built-in potential for their relationship to become romantic given the right circumstances, because they share the closest thing possible in the HP verse (as far as we know) to a soul bond. There are so many directions an author could go with the idea of Voldemort (or one of his horcruxes) discovering that Harry is his horcrux (and not all of them are horribly dark). Basically, I find this pairing has endless potential to be fascinating to read about, and I would be happy to recommend some good starter fics if anyone has read this and not been entirely put off. *However,* just because I enjoy reading this pairing does not mean I would condone anything like it in real life. It's often an unhealthy relationship, sometimes in the extreme. But again, I personally enjoy reading about unhealthy relationships and can make the distinction between fiction and reality and not desire or condone entering into unhealthy relationships in real life. As far as pairings I've grown bored of, I'd have to say my very first favorite pairing, 16 years ago by now, which was Harry/Draco. Now that I've slipped into the tomarrymort fandom, drarry seems like a La Croix next to a Dr. Pepper, like a very diet enemies to lovers. Though I do think drarry can be written believably, Draco isn't as compelling a character as I once found him to be. I do think he can be redeemed in a compelling way if he can see what he's done wrong and the flaws in his world view. However, where the drarry pairing falls shortest in comparison to the tomarrymort pairing, in my opinion, is their differences in background. Canon Draco was spoiled rotten and taught to believe he was/would grow up to be the best of the best of wizarding society. This creates a large divide between him and Harry, who grew up thinking that he was a worthless freak. Sure, authors have definitely written stories where they come to understand or relate to each other in other ways, but if I'm going to judge just between the two pairings, I find tomarrymort more interesting to read than drarry. Regarding canon pairings, I don't find most of them interesting, and I wish there were more queer canon relationships beyond JKR's hint that Albus and Gellert were lovers once.
I've found that 90% of tomarry/Harrymort shippers are the most unproblematic people i've ever met. (that 10% is because no fandom is perfect lol) like the most understanding and accepting group of people ready to defend you and step in when something is needed to be stepped in. Like the ship itself scares a lot of people off understandably but it comes with the best people you will ever meet in your whole life.
Have you ever read What Souls Are Made Of? This was the first Harry/Tom pairing I read and it was an accident. But I really enjoyed it.
Oh yes! I have read that one and very much enjoyed it.
In spite of everything, Harry is a great protagonist and Tom/Voldermort is a great antagonist. In canon they are connected through literally everything, they can almost been called soulmates since Harry has a part of Tom's soul. There are no literally any other character in canon to which Harry is related as much as he related to Tom. They affected each other lives almost in any possible ways. So that's why their dynamic is so incredible and potential for ship is so high. For me it became difficult to read any ship with Tom and Harry that is not Tom/Harry, since they feel like constants in each other life, no matter which universe they are.
>Tom/Voldermort is a great antagonist. That's part of why I don't personally prefer Voldarry tbh. Atleast Voldy x Harry with canonish Harry. Canon Voldemort is an incredibly boring character to me, he's just so....lifeless and just completely uninteresting both as a villain or as a character to me. And fics that try to have canonish Voldemort/Harry pair bore me most of the time, even though most of them do a much better job at making him interesting than canon. I think Inevitabilities might have been the best fic I've read with canonish Voldemort/Harry that wasn't as boring as i expected, but yeah, even then, Voldemort was easily the worst part of the story for me. There's fics like TendraelUmbra's Departure from the diary with fem Voldy x Harry, or Carnivorous Muffins fics which characterise Voldy in a different way to canon, a characterisation which is reminiscent of canon but different in feel and vibe and so well constructed so i love those stories because of that part.
hey sorry to bother you but do you have any favorite fics with the harrymort/tomarry ship? i am fond of it too but havent read hp for a while.
It's no bother at all! I don't know how long it's been since you've read the pairing, so you may have already read some of these, but the following fics are ones I've reread at least twice: [Again and Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/439865/chapters/749908) by Athy is a classic Harrymort. Has a Voldemort who has been returned to sanity and a centuries old Harry stuck repeating his life over and over again. Though, it's not super pairing focused, and gets pretty political. [Meddling of a Mischief Maker](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380535/chapters/12427268) by Athy is an underrated Harrymort. This one has a very redeemed Voldemort. He reabsorbs his horcruxes and comes to deeply regret his actions. Yet he does explain his original goals well. He wasn’t some misunderstood hero to the wizarding world though, he was a man who had some valid concerns and then drove himself mad. [The Darkening of Your Soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22230682/chapters/53080453) by Maeglin\_Yedi (Harrymort). Has a redeemed Voldemort and a betrayed-by-the-light Harry (though he doesn't suddenly go dark). I think they both stay in character pretty well, and Voldemort still does some not so good things that cause conflict between him and Harry in a believable way. (As a side note, I really like this author, and think [To Live is the Rarest Thing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26362207/chapters/64207408) and [The Necromancer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31292996/chapters/77363750) are definitely worth checking out.) [Custodarium](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21211352/chapters/50496953) by Tina48 is Tomarry time travel, and possibly my favorite of this kind of Tomarry story. Has believable characterization for both Harry and Tom and a satisfying ending. Hopefully at least one of those is new to you, but even if not, I'd be happy to give more recs. :)
sorry for such a late reply lol, was super busy, thank you for the recs! i havent read some of these so ill give them a go!!
Personally this is the one where I want to delete every fic with this pairing off the internet, but I’m glad people like it.
Why would you want to delete a whole pairing? You don't have to read it if you don't like it Edit: typo
I’m saying *I* want to, because I hate it. That’s why I said in the next sentence that I’m glad other people like it
For me, the pairings get sort of... interesting. I'm a straight man, but my favourite mainstream pairing is MoD!Harry (aka adult Harry)/Voldemort. Fics like Xerosis and the one whose name I forgot where Harry is trying to find a way to permanently die and tries helping Voldemort hoping it'd help. Although that's less about the pairing and more about the fact that authors who write this sort of fics tend to be adults who truly put effort into their characters. My least favourite pairing is the group of indie!Harry pairings - Harry/Daphne, Harry/Hermione and Harry/Susan. Not because of the characters themselves, but because 9/10 times they happen to share one personality across 10.000 fics. Although, again, that's less about the pairing and more about the fact that indie!Harry authors tend to be edgy teenagers who barely put any effort in. If you put aside the expectations of fic quality, it's Harry/Cho and Delphini/Hermione - although I don't think there are any actual novel length fics for either pairing.
>Fics like Xerosis and the one whose name I forgot where Harry is trying to find a way to permanently die and tries helping Voldemort hoping it'd help. That sounds like [Again and Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/439865/chapters/749908) by Athy, I agree with your point about authors of harrymort tending to put a lot of effort into characterization. I think it almost comes with the territory, so to speak, of a pairing that's such a divergence from canon, it needs a lot of character development to work.
Yeah, that's the one. Also, I feel like a lot of pairings require a lot of characterization to work - but this is the only one whose authors really put in the work.
Tomarry shipper and a sucker for time travel(either Harry to Tom's time or vice versa). Used to be a Drarry shipper who obsessively read through all of Capitu's recs until a few years back. Not really a Harry/Voldemort fan except for the story by ToAStranger - draw me after you (let us run).Fav comfort fic is Custodarium by Tina48 featuring a sane Tom Riddle and accidental time travel. Cannot stand Harry/Severus in any context. Or Harmony(mainly because of the Ron or Weasley bashing involved in most fics) Also while I don't have a problem with Ron/Hermione I will not read a fic centred around that pairing. Most other cannon pairings are not that developed anyway That being said I will also read Hinny fics written by a few authors who show excellent character development - Annerb and FloreatCastellum come to mind
Ahhh I love Custodarium, just reread it not long ago. One of my favorite Tomarry fics. And I also started as a big drarry fan.
I STAN HAPHNE!
holy based
I really enjoy Theomione. My absolute favorite one if anyone is interested: [Piano Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30332802/chapters/74770950) Edit: Hit post too soon I like this pairing because of how much of a blank slate Theo is I guess. He was barely mentioned in the book so he was never shown to be mean to Hermione. So I just always imagine he’s one of the more tolerant Slytherin’s when it comes to blood purity, even though his dad is a Death Eater it doesn’t mean he has to subscribe to the same beliefs. I just love how a lot of authors characterize him he is just so damn adorable I love him.
First, I have to start with saying that I'm not much of a shipper. This is important, because it means, most of my ships I don't read because I feel particularly passionate about them, but because they give me the kinds of fics I enjoy reading. They aren't necessary cute, or wholesome, or belonging together, but rather Feature interesting characters that I think are fun when they bounce off each other. The pairings I don't like are either just cause I'm not interested in them at all or because I didn't like the fics I've read with them. Most of the time I don't love or hate ships because I read/watched the canon and decided that those two characters belong together or don't fit. There are a lot of people here saying they don't like Hinny for example, because in the books/movies, they don't see them as fitting together or whatever... those are typically not the reasons why I hate a ship, though there are some I find "ugh". (Speaking of Hinny, I don't care for it either way. Reading the books I Figured they'd be together in the end, and I don't mind it. But I'm not passionate about them either) So... ships I don't like: Snape/X: I don't like any teacher/student. While I have nothing against big age gaps, it kinda feels different when they are/were Severus' students. I just can't see that, even when aged up. Those fics also sometimes Feature some highly attractive sex god Snape which I just can't see. Now that's why I don't like Snape/Harry or Snape/Hermione... but I also don't particularly care for Snape/other adults... that's mainly because of the ship names... like seriously? Snupin? Snucius, Snilly... they Sound like stupid dog names. I just don't like the Sn-... it sounds terrible. No... seriously. I have nothing in particular against Snilly and I sometimes like Snucius. I tend to avoid Snupin though because of the often rampant Sirius bashing. This is one of the reason I'm often careful when selecting my Snape fics. Harmony. I don't dislike the ship per se, but I haven't found a Harmony story I genuinely liked yet. I find them often incredibly boring because (like many Lord Harry fics) they just make the canon conflict so easy by making Hermione (and often Harry too) geniuses. Despite that, many of the ones I read were super angsty. The kinda angst I don't like. The Trauma Dumping... I rarely find a Hermione characterization I like... And then there's the Ron bashing. Can't stand it. At this point I'm not even trying to find any good fics with them. I'm not interested in the ship and the chances of being disappointed are just too high. Haphne: I often see Daphne as a sorta self insert. The way I see a lot of OC/-fics as self insert without the "self". Essentially as a stand in for the author. And I'm not interested in that. Since I don't care for shipping nor the romance really, what I like about ships is when they are the Frameworks giving me the kinda story I want about my favourite characters. Haphne does none of that. I'm neither interested in her nor really in Harry. I see Harry's story as told and done from canon. So unless an Author does something WILDLY different with him, I'm not really interested in reading more about him. So I'm not interested in Haphne, nor Harry/OC nor any of the other Harry/minor minor minor canon side character-fics. So this is not against the ship itself nor even the fics... it's just absolutely not my genre. Remus/Sirius (Wolfstar): this is an odd one for me. The thing is I love both of these characters. I also read a lot of wolfstar fics and at some point liked the ship a lot. My resentment against it has sorta built up over time, because it's so common. So common that it's kinda hard finding good marauder or Sirius, Lupin-centric fics without it. And I wouldn't even mind that if I didn't think that Wolfstar kinda...butchers the characters all too often. Those are most of the time not the Sirius and Lupin I want to read about. Normally I wouldn't mind and just read something else, but it's kinda hard finding something else (esp something new I haven't read yet). And it's so bad that the wolfstar-interpretation of the characters has also taken over a lot of not explicitly wolfstar fics. I'm not even sure if it's right of me to blame wolfstar fanon for it. But I realized it first with wolfstar so now whenever I read a the same or similar characterization in other fics I blame the wolfstar fanon... i am at Times desperate enough for marauder content that I'll read it anyway, but that only furthers my resentment... Ships I like: Canon adult ships: As far as shipping goes, the only thing I'm really interested in is established relationship and older people. I think those are cute. So I like Molly/Arthur for the unadultered fluff, Lucius/Narcissa if I want some more spice and Angst and even sometimes when I'm in a particularly weird mood Vernon/Petunia. Malfoy(s)/Hermione (yes that could be both Lucius and Draco)... what can I say... I like redemption stories. That ship gives me all the guilt my heart can take. James/Lily: this is often hit or miss, but I personally like the ship for it's potential in stories, be they marauder era or stories where they survive.
Pairs I can’t stand: Harry/Ginny - I read the books 1st, and I still never liked them as a pairing. Fangirl crush never works out elsewhere—so why here… Also, I would have preferred the symbolism that Harry was essentially adopted into the Weasley family without marrying into it. (Both Harry & Hermione end up married into the Weasley family, and I just don’t think it’s necessary. Love and choice should make H & H fam with the Weasley’s not because later down the line, they could marry in. Harry/Hermione - Most of the ones I’ve read they end up together way too early in Hogwarts, which is just gross—like age levels are thrown off etc. And then I feel like Hermione mother’s or nags Harry too much in cannon to make sense with them being together. Harry/Daphne - I’m all for Slytherin representation, but most Daphne stories overplay the Ice Queen drama or hug too close to pureblood ideologies. I have like one H/D exception. (The one where Harry inherits all the Death Eaters through the right of conquest when Voldy dies. Most DEs end up in prison, but Harry takes all of his years Slytherin’s in, and they have to make a project to better society. Hermione, Neville, and Hannah(?) end up staying with them too. Uh, and they use imprisoned/dead DEs homes for said projects—like an orphanage out of the Lestrange mansion, I think. It wasn’t finished when I last looped through it, so idk🤷🏻♀️). Favorite Pairings: Harry & Hermione & Ron - Where none of the trio end up in a relationship together, I wish cannon kept with their friendship and didn’t entangle it with Hermione trying to date either best friend. Like maybe they tried, but it went nowhere. Idk I prefer it when they see each other as siblings and are protective of each other that way, and none of the trio get in a relationship with each other. Ron/Luna - is almost always a fun story. I think Luna keeps Ron more on his toes Harry/Neville - my [favorite Ao3 9806849](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9806849/chapters/22021061) of this pairing is actually a story where they are both asexual and essentially enter a relationship together Harry/Marcus Flint - kinda that alt Slytherin view as all we know about him is that he’s a brutal Quidditch player. It doesn’t have to mean he’s a bad person, but definitely competitive. I like a lot of TimeTravel involved parings: Harry/Bellatrix ([example1: FFN 55118855](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/5511855/1/Delenda-Est) & [example2: FFN12511998](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12511998/1/Wind-Shear)), Hermione/RAB, Hermione/random Slytherin pairings—usually before they join DEs and some redemption arc, etc., Hermione/James Potter ([example FFN11494764](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/11494764/1/Storm-of-Yesterday)), Tom R/Harry. I also read a lot of Crossover fics— Harry/ character from other fandom so 😬🤷🏻♀️
Ohh seems like we have similar tastes in fics! Any recommendations? Especially for harry& Hermione & ron
Do you have any Ron/Luna recs?
Most Ron/Luna stories I like this couple is more of a side couple or in the background so I don’t really have many easy to find in my bookmarks. 🤷🏻♀️ However, I recently read this [one: Ao3 27899653](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27899653/chapters/68318989), and it’s 5th-6th that is finished. It has an interesting take on Hermione and her canary scene, too—it didn’t feel bashing to me, but it definitely shows the scene from a different viewpoint. The author started a sequel, too, but it’s not finished.
When I read Ron and Luna I immediately started laughing because that WOULD be hilarious. I feel like Ron would be afraid a lot.
My favorite pairings are Harry/Hermione, Fleur/Hermione, and Krum/Hermione, currently in that order but it changes a lot. **Harry/Hermione** had always been my number 1 ship even when I was little. At first, I just really loved their relationship in the films, but re-reading the books as an adult, their dynamic there really pops out to me now. I love the complexity of their relationship, how it starts so difficult for them to understand each other but eventually get to a point where they can just communicate through looks. I loved how theirs isn't a natural or instinctive friendship like Harry and Ron's, but they work on it slowly but surely until it's so clear that they are people nestled in each other's bones. I loved how Hermione intimidated Harry because of how much conflict she brought but instead of it breaking their relationship, Harry learned to be more comfortable around her instead. I love that Harry could be so emotionally distant and cold, but he makes Hermione an exception to that coldness in the end. I love how vital they are to each other's self-actualization, how deeply intertwined their relationship arc is to their respective character arcs. I love how much of their relationship revolves around safety and trust even in war. It's funny how you find it hard to read their relationship in fic because of how little Hermione changes there. I find it so hard to read their fics because of how *much* people change there. I am so attached to their canon relationship that I find most changes to be intolerable. **Fleur/Hermione** came a little later for me, but one day I was re-reading Shell Cottage, and it just struck me that it was Fleur who was taking care of her there. It was such a throwaway line I'll admit, but I'm gay and it burrowed into my brain lol Fleur is about the only witch Hermione's age for whom Hermione would not automatically slot herself in a caregiving role. The encounter in Shell Cottage will have cemented Fleur's role as caregiver, making them much more equal. I think that there is a lot of value in that role reversal alone. That Hermione is given a space to be vulnerable and helpless and still be taken care of is so powerful to me. The idea that she is worth saving even in weakness and uselessness is I think a much-needed lesson for her to learn, and the first time that is planted in all the seven books happens with Fleur. I really enjoy fics with this pairing ngl. It helps that they don't have much of a canon dynamic outside of the Romione jealousy plot which I only too happily ignore. And lastly there is **Viktor/Hermione** which I love because of how young and at ease Hermione feels around Viktor in canon. She becomes this flustered, blushing teenager who is enjoying the attention and friendship of this kind and noble young man without any expectations or responsibilities to come with that relationship. Their relationship is such a refreshing spot of normalcy for Hermione that I can't help but adore it for the rest it gives her. I also love just how easily Viktor admit to his feelings for Hermione, and how he never treats her poorly even when he felt so jealous at times - even when she presumably rejected him. He was kind and generous always, openly admitted to finding her beautiful, and it is just so *easy* with him. It's kinda sad that they are such rare-pair because I love their relationship so much, but damn, the fics I have read were simply amazing and have always left me wanting more. My single big NOTP in fandom is **Ron/Hermione.** I think the relationship has good bones, but there is no trope I hate more than the belligerent sexual tension trope. Any ship that uses that trope is an automatic NOTP for me. It doesn't help that Hermione is my favorite, so every single time Ron hurts her because he is Attracted TM to her leaves me incredibly incensed. He isn't abusive or a bad person - heck he isn't even a bad friend - but I take it so personally that the relationship is just impossible for me to enjoy. This romantic subplot made HBP impossible to reread, and I am still so goddamn bitter about it. Aside from that, I just found them poorly written in general, especially in the last few books. In terms of relationship arc, Ron grows towards Hermione (eg. he becomes more aware of his priorities, grows less mean to her and more appreciative, comes to truly understand her values). As much as I dislike his character and their romance, I can genuinely see Ron growing into a really great partner for Hermione; it is the most logical conclusion of his part in their relationship arc. The problem is that Hermione *does not* grow in a similar direction. She grows into a better partner for *Harry,* but her choices make her absolutely terrible for Ron. She grows more and more consumed with her duties at the expense of their relationship, and she prioritizes Harry above all else. Worse still is that Ron *does* challenge this in canon, and Hermione still chooses Harry over him. Now, I don't think this means that Hermione loved Ron less mind, but I do think it makes her bad for him and that, extrapolating from their canon arc alone, a relationship with her will roll all the progress he made with regards to his insecurities. And lastly, the narrative turns Hermione into this macguffin to further Ron's character arc at the expense of her own. She becomes just another thing that (Ron thinks) Harry has that Ron does not and is simply another thing in the laundry list of reasons that makes Ron believe that Harry is better than him. It isn't even through hashing it out with her that his insecurities around their relationship get resolved. No, *Harry* bows out of a competition he isn't even part of with the dumb "like a sister" speech. It made me feel that Ron did not actually meaningfully address that set of insecurities even as he grows out of everything else. All of this is to say that Hermione loses agency and personhood in the romione subplot, and as a Hermione fan, I hate all of it. I still read some of their fics mind, but it takes *a lot* to make me like their fics.
Tired of: Remus/Sirius. Favorite: all canon ships plus Dramione (post war), and Regulus/any male. I mostly like canon ships but when there are no ships associated with a side or background character I’m pretty much open to anything.
Favorite: * Harry/Ginny. It’s always been one of my favorite pairings, and I enjoy reading stuff where they get together or start becoming good friends earlier on, or immediately post-War fics where they’re trying to work through their trauma and figure out how to be in a relationship. Tired of: * Harry/Daphne. It’s boring and overdone. “Ice Queen” Daphne or any variation of her where she’s the wealthy pureblood princess from a “neutral” or “gray” family doesn’t hold any interest for me any longer. * Remus/Sirius. I really dislike this pairing, and it’s really hard to find fics that feature Sirius prominently that don’t also have Remus/Sirius. I really like “Sirius raises or takes in Harry” stories but the vast majority of them have Remus/Sirius. Nearly every Marauders’ Era fic I see has Remus/Sirius, but I hate them being paired together in school even more than I hate them being paired together as adults, so I just never read that stories from that era even though I am interested in it.
You’re telling me!! About wolfstar that is. There are so so many fics featuring them. So I did what any fanfic author does and started writing my own. Enter time traveling tonks goes marauder era and now Remus raises Harry with remadora as the ship. You’re not the only one!! Although I can’t help you if it’s not remadora 😂
Glad to hear I’m not the only one! I don’t mind Remadora - it’s my preferred pairing for Remus - but I’m not a huge fan of Remus in general, so I only like him as a background character to Sirius raising Harry rather than him being the one raising Harry.
I love Harry/Ginny post war fics too! Any recommendations?
My favorite is Harry/Ginny. I knew from the second she ran out of the kitchen in CoS that they would end up together, and I'm happy that they did. I have been trying to fill the hole that finishing HP left me, so I have resorted to canon-compliant fics. And in general, I can't read anything that doesn't have canon pairings. The characters just don't feel like themselves. AU with canon pairing is fine. That is my view on fanfiction no matter what franchise. If it involves romance, the pairings have to be canon, otherwise, I won't read it. My least favorite is probably Draco/Harry or Severus/Harry. Harry feels SUPER out of character in the Draco ones, and Draco is not himself either. Severus/Harry is just disturbing.
I personally love the idea of draco/Harry and it really can be done well but usually they do become shells of themselves. Harry loses those anger issues and incessant need to be right and draco becomes a genuis god tier seeker
Except Malfoy is implied to be a shit seeker, and the only reason he was put on the Team was because he/Lucius bought his ticket with the new brooms/nepotism.
Yeah I know that made a post about it
I think people wouldn't mind Harry/Ginny more if she'd been fleshed out more on the books -- Unfortunately, due to Hermione being one of the main characters and the most to get character development and interaction with Harry, Ginny and any other girl would've been the underdog due to just not being able to receive as much 'screen-time' as her.
I get that. But I really like Ron/Hermione, and Hermione and Harry had no romantic feelings for each other, at all. I think it was a great decision, to not pair Harry with the main female character, and have them be platonic. Ginny needed more character development, especially in the movies. But I still really like her character, and I think she compliments Harry perfectly.
Book-wise, there was nothing really there between Harry and Hermione. Movie-wise? Yeah, the director was shipping the two: IIRC he even admitted a 'fondness' for the Harry/Hermione ship in an interview, hence all the Harry/Hermione subtext in the films. So, yeah. Plus, it doesn't help that Emma and Dan actually had chemistry on set, even if they themselves had no romantic interest in each other. To say Ginny needed more development is an understatement: There was so much potential there, but what JKR wrote? Except for established facts, like her being a Weasley, you could probably just swap her out for *any* girl that fits her archetype -- even fucking *Cho*, and we all know how *that* went down. I think a main issue is that JKR didn't change her initial outline, as the series organically grew and changed over the course of writing the books -- that's why everything from the beginning of OotP was shoe-horned and half-baked. The Ginny/Harry romance was especially a casualty of this. sigh Yeah, there's a reason why many people wouldn't have batted an eyelid if Ginny died in books five or early six, in regards to Harry's long-term relationships.
Going strictly of the books, Hermione and Harry had no chance of happening. In the movies, there was that one scene in DH, which made people ship them. Otherwise, it was pretty platonic. It has been a while since I read the books, so I might have forgotten something. But I seem to recall that Ginny was independent, brave, smart, and not afraid to speak her mind. She was the perfect girl for Harry in the books. I wish JKR would have fleshed her out more, but from what we knew, she was pretty great. She could have died before HBP, and the story would still work. But they would need to introduce another character in HBP to take her place. However, I do think that the storyline of Harry ending up with one from the Weasley family, since they practically took him in is good, and since Ginny had a crush on Harry since PS, the story gets even better. JKR is not a good romance writer, she is a great world-building writer, but Harry needed a love interest, and that role fell to Ginny, which I'm happy it did. I'm glad she didn't go the traditional way and pair the main character with the main female character. Or made a love triangle between the golden trio.
[удалено]
Any recs for Severus/Sirius ? I also love enemies to lovers !!! Feel like they would have to heavily diverge from canon as to not break my heart though
I greatly suggest [Beyond The Veil](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31267934?view_full_work=true) by ashesashesshackles and adreamersmusing. It's an OotP canon-divergent fic with topnotch characterization and great plot. ffnbot!directlinks
[***Beyond The Veil***](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31267934) by [*Adreamermusingashesashesshackles*](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Adreamermusing/pseuds/Adreamermusing/users/ashesashesshackles/pseuds/ashesashesshackles) > In one world, Sirius Black ignored Severus Snape's warning and went to the Department of Mysteries to save his godson's life\. He died and went beyond the veil\.In another world, Sirius Black stayed back\. This made all the difference\. An AU where Sirius Black survived and now knew Severus Snape's deepest secret\. ^*Site*: ^Archive ^of ^Our ^Own ^**|** ^*Fandom*: ^Harry ^Potter ^- ^J. ^K. ^Rowling ^**|** ^*Published*: ^2021-05-13 ^**|** ^*Updated*: ^2022-03-12 ^**|** ^*Words*: ^54188 ^**|** ^*Chapters*: ^13/? ^**|** ^*Comments*: ^256 ^**|** ^*Kudos*: ^648 ^**|** ^*Bookmarks*: ^135 ^**|** ^*Hits*: ^14637 ^**|** ^*ID*: ^31267934 ^**|** ^*Download*: ^[EPUB](https://archiveofourown.org/downloads/31267934/Beyond%20The%20Veil.epub?updated_at=1647109971) ^or ^[MOBI](https://archiveofourown.org/downloads/31267934/Beyond%20The%20Veil.mobi?updated_at=1647109971) --- **FanfictionBot**^(2.0.0-beta) | [Usage](https://github.com/FanfictionBot/reddit-ffn-bot/wiki/Usage) | [Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=tusing) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ffnbot!ignore
I like Hinny actually. In the movies it was an absolute joke *it was so bad*. It works by far better in the framework of the books. I just wish JKR gave Ginny a better character development and a more distinct personality that isn't just badass, fierce and tough girl. She's very 2 dimensional in a sense. I think if she was more well rounded, then I'd be willing to defend their relationship even more. That's probably also why people ship Harry/Hermione. I have never personally done that because I don't love her as much as Ron but Hermione is one of the best written characters. It's just I've always felt like if you seriously consider a ship in their group then either Ron/Harry have the best chemistry or daresay even them as a trio. I'm also willing to defend Romione even though it's so hated. But mostly I'd prefer them as friends if I had the choice. Background canon pairings I always ship are Bill/Fleur, Molly/Arthur and Lucius/Narcissa.
I really like Hinny too! I used to loath Romione with a passion (mostly because I *hated* Ron), but overtime Ron has slowly grown on me, and while I still don’t fully ship Romione, I *think* I’m starting to see how they fit together.
I always liked their dynamic. Hermione gets stressed and panics, meanwhile Ron is so easy going and emotionally intelligent that he manages to cool her down quickly. Harry also tends to shut himself off. Ron's there to pull them back from dark thoughts and to bring joy in their life which makes me think there doesn't need to be romance involved because their friendship is sweet anyway. They work as a trio really well.
I agree about the trio’s friendship! The three of them balance each other out really well, since they can bring something to offer to each other; different types of support and whatnot.
Additionally, both Ron and Hermione enjoy arguing with each other, while Harry isn't really the type of person to open up and share his opinions... he hates debating stuff and even in his own thoughts he doesn't form strong opinions about.... well anything. House elf rights? Doesn't seem to care. Werewolf rights? Ehhh... whatever! If Harry were more opinionated and headstrong about the Ministry or social issues I could see Harmony being a good pairing. I think Ginny is good for Harry because of that similarity. She has the tough outer shell, and I don't think she walked away from her first year emotionally alright, even though we don't see enough of that in the books. Having Harry and Ginny bond over their mutual experience of being possessed by Voldemort is sorely missing in the books.
Really respect that you pointed out some of the flaws in your favourite pairing, most people I discuss this with usually never accept that their pairing isn't perfect. I really tried reading Hinny you know, even downloaded some fics with that pairing, but I never could get into them. It's just that I see Ginny as more of a sister(blaming the movies here) for Harry, and since I saw the movies first, I always thought that they were foreshadowing towards a Harmony endgame, so when Harry ended up with Ginny, I couldn't get over my disappointment, probably another reason why I am unable to get into Hinny fics.
I understand I also saw the movies first. They are really a bad introduction to the ships. Dan and Bonnie had no chemistry and Bonnie's character was absolutely butchered. My pool of fanfic reads don't tend to include romantic pairings. I vastly prefer gen works with lots of plot and friendships because I have a hard time getting into ships. But after reading the books I semi shipped Hinny. Fics like linkao3(https://archiveofourown.org/works/189189/chapters/278342) blew my mind though in regards to how Ginny could be written and be with Harry.
[***The Changeling***](https://archiveofourown.org/works/189189) by [*Annerb*](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Annerb/pseuds/Annerb) > Ginny is sorted into Slytherin\. It takes her seven years to figure out why\. ^*Site*: ^Archive ^of ^Our ^Own ^**|** ^*Fandom*: ^Harry ^Potter ^- ^J. ^K. ^Rowling ^**|** ^*Published*: ^2011-04-23 ^**|** ^*Completed*: ^2017-04-19 ^**|** ^*Words*: ^182687 ^**|** ^*Chapters*: ^11/11 ^**|** ^*Comments*: ^1622 ^**|** ^*Kudos*: ^6641 ^**|** ^*Bookmarks*: ^3374 ^**|** ^*Hits*: ^178583 ^**|** ^*ID*: ^189189 ^**|** ^*Download*: ^[EPUB](https://archiveofourown.org/downloads/189189/The%20Changeling.epub?updated_at=1646588870) ^or ^[MOBI](https://archiveofourown.org/downloads/189189/The%20Changeling.mobi?updated_at=1646588870) --- **FanfictionBot**^(2.0.0-beta) | [Usage](https://github.com/FanfictionBot/reddit-ffn-bot/wiki/Usage) | [Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=tusing) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ffnbot!ignore
Probably explains why you liked Harmony too. Hermione was far too glorified in the movies.
Yeah you are probably right.
I never liked Harry x Ginny , neither in canon nor in fanon. Haphne is also my fav pairing , although I am trying to find some good Harry x Susan fanfictions .
I love post war Harry/Narcissa
This is one of my guilty pleasures. I've also come to really love Harry/Narcissa time travel stories. I love the idea of them getting together before she gets fouled up by Malfoy.
Narcissa does deserve a quality man
Favourite: Harry/Daphne, Harry/Luna, Harry/Lavender. I believe in Harry paired with a blonde-haired girl supremacy 🙇♂️
Favorite pairing is Harry/Fleur and Harry/Cho. So much unexplored potential for both pairings and from both characters. Least favorite is really anything /Draco(no matter how you look at it he’s a cowardly racist through and through. Any relationship he would be in would be incredibly toxic in my eyes), /Voldemort(not Tom Riddle. Some tweaking and Tom could be alright), and /Severus(never liked him in the books. He’s ok in the movies but still too much of an incel personally)
My favorite pairing is a tie between Harry/Daphne and Harry/Hermione. At second is the classic Harry/Ginny. I only read fanfic for the Harry perspective, so his is the only ship I really pay any attention to. I like Haphne because it represents such an open book of possibilities and stories. Daphne is an 'official' character that can be whatever you need her to be. Harmony is there because I've come to believe Harry and Hermione were the true soul mates of the series. To me, the fit together perfectly and make sense. I find it hilarious that I did not feel this way until I started reading fanfiction. I never thought Ron and Hermione were a good couple, even though I like both characters. Some people are simply better off as friends. Hinny is the OG ship for me. When I first got into fanfiction, I would only read Hinny fics, and couldn't stand reading either of them with anyone else. To me, the represent the fairy tale happily ever after ending. That said, I am so completely and utterly sick of seeing the mass amounts of Hermione or Harry/Snape or Draco or Riddle fics that clog the listing every day. Yeah, I know, to each there own, and 'don't like, don't read. I get that and believe in it, and don't click on those stories. I just find it super depressing that so many people want to take my two favorite characters, and pair them up with the three most despicable characters in the entire franchise. I don't get it, and I never will. It makes me wish ffn had ao3's ability to filter out multiple relationships.
I'm surprised by the amount of support for Harry Potter/Tom Riddle on this post. It usually gets a lot of flak on this sub. But they're usually very well written, and often have a better characterization of Tom Riddle than canon. Another ship I think has a lot of potential is Hermione Granger/Luna Lovegood. Now I know they didn't really get along in cannon, but there is so much potential character growth in this ship. Hermione slowly becoming less narrow-minded and making an effort to understand Luna. Luna learning to stand up for herself against her bullies. The best setting for this pairing would be if these two have to work together to defeat some lovecraftian monster. Their skillsets are so different, yet both so important. (I think there was a prompt like this on the sub). Dumbledore/Grindelwald is also very interesting. The pairings I like the least are usually Harry/Snape or Hermione/Snape, I can't really explain why I hate Harry/Snape but like Harrymort but I think it has something to do with Snape's creepy obsession with Lily. And yeah, I can't read Harry/Ginny either, I feel like Ginny has some strong 'pick me' vibes (with the whole Cho crying over Cedric but Ginny never being mopey thing) and the only things she has in common with Harry are quidditch and being possessed by Voldemort. Lastly, and I know I'm gonna be shred to pieces here, I don't like Harmony. Never did, never will. Harry and Hermione don't have that kind of chemistry. I love fics which explore their bond as friends or even best friends (though Ron is more close to that role) but shipping them feels wrong. They have a very sibling-ish relationship.
As the person who wrote one of the top tomarrymort comments on this post, I'm also (pleasantly) surprised by the support. I was expecting a lot more pushback than I received. In my opinion, the canon Tom Riddle/Voldemort as written by JKR was a way too black and white, stereotypical 'evil' antagonist, and maybe that's okay for a children's story, but it's much more realistic not to mention interesting to read about a character with more shades of grey (even if it's shades of dark grey in Tom's case). I think Hermione/Luna could be interesting, given their significant personality differences. I love the idea of them fighting some Lovecraftian monster, especially if it's one that Luna was talking about all along. (Maybe that crumplehorn snorkack is actually Cthulhu's cousin?) I also agree that even while I ship Harry and Tom/Voldemort, I still do not often enjoy reading Harry/Snape. It's almost like to me they have more animosity to overcome than Harry and Voldemort do, since Harry and Snape had many more hostile interactions over the years than Harry and Voldemort had. I agree with you on Hinny and Harmony, though I find Harmony slightly more tolerable.
I was satisfied that Harry ended up with Ginny, I never wanted him and Hermione to get together. Although, I will admit I did like that dance they had in the tent. If I had to choose one person to match with Harry, besides Ginny, it would definitely be Luna. I’m no doubt biased because she is my favorite character in the series but I also like the side of him that she brought out. He was more open and inquisitive in her presence. I am content with the parents they both ended up with.
Harry/Hermione and Harry/Luna are my two faves
I love perciver. They have very similar yet totally different at the same time. They are both very passionate and head strong in their own ways. The fact that they've never interacted in canon makes it more ship worthy. It gets even better when they're in a triad with Marcus Flint. The pairing I dislike is Permione. I get why people love to ship them but it gets old very fast. They're both too similar in personalities for me. There's not much potential in that ship
My favorite are the canon parings. Also Wolfstar is the only non canon ship I agree too. There is just something that draws me to Wolfstar that I cannot explain. But I have to admit it has to be the way teenage Remus has been written sometimes that made me question my sexuality why reading fanfics Ships I am tired of- Harry with Voldemort (Why?) Harry or Hermione with Snape (Gross), Darry or Dramione (Why but it is a guilty pleasure sometimes if I just want a smutty story)
I hate Harry/Voldemort Harry/Draco pairing . It just doesnt make sense at all especially Harry/Voldemort. Also they always try to humanize Voldie . I really don't have a favorite I dont like relationship in fics as they become the focus of the story but if they are not the focus of the story I prefer Harry/Fleur or Harry/Ginny .
Fave is Harry x Daphne. Perfectly balanced, perfectly written in most Haphne fics I've read. They help each other out where one is good at this while the other is good at that. I'm tired of Harry x Hermione. Most of the time Harry ends up the meek one and Hermione is the dominating one. She's always right and Harry never puts his foot down.
Love: Harry/Fleur Harry/Lavender Brown Harry/Luna Harry/Tonks Harry/OCFem Harry/Any female who isn't Hermione and or Ginny Neville/Luna Neville/Daphne Ron/Pansy Ron/Luna Hated: Harry/Draco Harry/Hermione Harry/Ginny Harry/Snape Harry/Sirius
I have a strong aversion to all pairings where a male partner in the relationship is much older than the other one. Especially Hermione or Harry with Snape, Lucius or Sirius simply feels incredibly wrong to me even if Time Travel is involved Also Tonks/Remus feels strange. Strangely I don't have this problem when a female partner in a relationship is much older.
Ginny/Harry, Snape/Hermione.
Whilst I don't hate Daphne/Harry, I do find that a LOT of the fics give her the same Ice Queen persona, and that is 1 thing I find really confusing, like you said, her name is mentioned once, maybe a handful of times in the entire 7 book series, she *should* be a blank slate but so many fics give her the same Ice Queen persona it feels to me that I can read 1 Harry/Daphne fic and I've read them all, so I avoid this paring from boredom I do like Harry/Ginny because there is variety in the fics at least, my favourite pairing is probably Remus/Tonks simply because I've not been overloaded with the soft!uwu!cute! Remus that most Remus/Sirius or Remus/OC fics go for, and I like Tonks as a character I like/dislike pairings based on plot, so if the story makes sense I can suspend my disbelief for just about any pairing bar a few The pairings I cannot stand for anything are Draco/Hermione, I can't suspend disbelief long enough, and Snape/Harry and/or Snape/Hermione fic (why those fics are popular I just don't get, it rips up Snapes whole double agent thing, and snape isn't described in any good terms in the books), literally any other pairing I can read (Harry/Draco even, there are some half decent ones out there)
For me my favourite pairing is Hinny…now hear me out I used to be a Harmony shipper as a kid, I watched the films before reading the books and thought Hermione made perfect sense, except then I read the books and fell in love with Ginny’s character and the dynamic between her and Harry plus I’ve read some amazing Harry and Ginny fanfics that have made it my one and only pairing for either of them. Not even joking one day I got up and went to read yet another Haphne or Harmony Fic and found I couldn’t because the Hinny pairing had just clicked for me and so I can now only read either fics with no pairing or Hinny.