⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (yes, five stars—this hardly happens for me!)
This is one of the best Dramione fics I’ve ever read, and I don’t say that lightly. I’m so picky with five-star reads, but this one? Deserves every single star and then some.
It’s an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. I was constantly putting my Kindle down to take a breath because my throat was doing that tight, verge-of-crying thing!
It’s beautifully devastating in the best way possible. The way the author wrote Hermione? Absolute perfection. She’s raw, real, and broken in a way that feels so authentic post-war. She’s struggling with trauma, with her friendships, with herself. And the turn to alcohol and smoking as coping mechanisms? Painful but so believable.
And Draco? Gods. I loved how much of a mess he was - quick to anger, violent, and so clearly still wrapped up in the same storm of emotions we expect from him. Sometimes, even Hermione couldn’t calm him down, and that just made it feel so real. A lot of fics soften him too much, but this one didn’t shy away from his edges.
But then there was the softer side, the way he’d tell Hermione she was beautiful, how he saw her when she needed it most. She’s always felt like she’s had to prove herself, prove she deserved to be there, prove her friendships were earned and not just luck. And Draco? For all his pureblood privilege and Slytherin status, he felt the same way, like he was never enough. Together, they found their worth.
The way their love was written absolutely gutted me. They didn’t just heal - they healed each other, piece by piece, moment by moment. And the connection they built through their shared strengths (hello, swotty research sessions!) was just so uniquely them.
This fic is the perfect blend of angst, hope, and love. It reminded me why I’m so obsessed with this ship. If you love Dramione, READ THIS. You’ll thank me later.