Meet Me at Midnight

by forawhile

When Hermione Granger is accidentally cut by an old Malfoy Family Heirloom, a matrimonial blade, an ancient magic seems to think she is betrothed to the last Malfoy heir, and begins to pull her into Draco’s bed every night, at midnight.

Genres: Fan Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Magic, Forced Proximity, Fiction, Adult

495 pages, ebook

Published June 7, 2024

Reviews

[Hayden Hamby]

We don't rate fanfictions in this house because it is HELLA disrespectful to these authors that do this for free in their free time. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

[Mel]

A Norrrty start 👀 with a HEA ⭐️ just what the doctor ordered

[Sarah :)]

did i just read an over 100k word fic in one sitting? yes, yes i did

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was on Goodreads. I honestly don't remember when I read it or what I thought of it, but I wanted to log it

[ThianeJansen]

A extreme HEA dramione fanfic after being torn apart by Alchemised. Don’t mind if I do! I ate this UP and can’t wait to read the self-published version of this next.


Favorite quotes

“This world is dark enough,” he murmured into her hair. His arms pressed her into him and he clenched his eyes shut, the intensity of his love for her swelling within him. “And it would be immeasurably darker without you in it.”

“Til death do us part?” she whispered to him.Draco’s arms tightened around her. “Not even then.”

“He moved back an inch and muttered, “turn around, Hermione—hands on the shelf.”

“One step, Hermione,” he said, voice low and guttural, “and I’m yours.”

“Did you really think,” he murmured into the top of her head, “that I would let death have the final say?”

[Jenzl Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, yes. Another reason fanfic Draco is #1 on the book boyfriends list. (At this point he is book husband, dare I say. -Yes my for real life husband knows about this)

This fanfic was equal parts fun and heavy. They will always be canon in my soul.

[Maddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was good, not my favorite Dramoine but it had it highs and lows. It took me longer to read than most fics and I am not sure why. Maybe I need to switch it up again or I'm getting a little bored of the romance genre. (I 100% skimmed the last chapter about their wedding, I wasn't really feeling the mushy gushy stuff plus I think this one was a little long.) Bellatrix and Tom Riddle having a daughter was a new twist I hadn't experienced yet. Overall, it was good, a solid 3 stars out of 5.

[Cynthia Kraayenbrink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly shocked that this has an overall 3 star rating. Listen this is a 5 star for me. I had a blast, vibes were there, tension was 🤭, a witty yet protective Draco is my favorite. Banter was fantastic. This was exactly what I needed.

[Shayna Rios · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. This book starts fast and continues to be fast paced until the end. The tension between them is insane. I loved trying to figure out the mystery!

[Jewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a great time but I can understand some of the complaints on this one.

Still obsessed though and loved the solving a little mystery together moment too.

[Ashley Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok this was so good?? One of those reads that I didn’t wanna put down but also didn’t wanna pick up cause I didn’t want it to be over. Based on the description I thought I was getting a fun little palate cleanser, which yes, I did have fun but this was so much more with the curse breaking aspect and that plot twist? so good and I will be rereading this one

[Mel Steadman Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

So so good! Very excited for the self published non dramione version later this year!

[Steph 🫶🏻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be really cringe the first few chapters but I actually really really really enjoyed this - strong recommend!

Fuck me I love dramione

[Jemieca A. Bulalhog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a typical love story. I just like it when things progress fast and not grudgingly slow, like why the heck would you prolong the agony of them succumbing to love when they will eventually. The only thing that I noticed is that Draco would always hurt Hermione's feelings and not even say sorry or try to explain himself like Hermione could figure it out herself. Also, the Weasleys and other friends were left out which is sad cuz I really really love them. But I do like the friendship that Hermione and Harry have in this book. Love this book nonetheless.

[fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh you see me reading another dramione fanfic? and logging it on goodreads, no less? yeah? so? move along.

always a pleasure reading a well written FREE fanfiction. loved the concept and plot line - really felt well thought out and like this author is a well seasoned HP fanfic writer ! lol

[Anna Knezic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The post-Manacled effect of reading Dramione is in full swing

I recently learned rating fan fics on here isn’t in the spirit of people writing works that aren’t vetted by editors and publishing companies. So giving 5 stars towards the people who create these works out of labors of love

[Hollie Charlebois]

Another one 🫣

Obsessed w the premise. Plot was so creative especially at the end! As always, need more banter plz

Also no mention of Ron which was perfect lol

[Tasha Kravec · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this story is actually great, but I didn’t love how the story started/progressed. It went from zero to 100 in 5 seconds, then slowed back down to 50 the rest of the story. The beginning like, 40% of this story was just straight up smut with hardly any plot. Eventually, it evened out and I enjoyed the way the plot built and played out, but idk. I just wish it had been drawn out more or rearranged differently. The writing was decent, but it was a little too insta-love for me.

No disrespect to the author, but this is being pulled off of AO3 to be traditionally published and I’m not really sure how this is going to be reframed. It’s super fast paced, and with knowing the background lore, that’s fine, but when you have to build the lore with new characters…eh idk. Overall, a quick read and relatively entertaining.

[Alva Schwung · Rating 4 out of 5]

jag kommer aldrig vara densamma. jag älskar dem för mycket. jag vill aldrig sluta läsa Dramione,it’s an infection, like a disease. but a good kind of. it’s becoming a part of me. i love them. också, Auror Draco 🥵🥵💯❤️‍🔥🧎🏼‍♀️‍➡️🧎🏼‍♀️‍➡️ daddy with the white shirts and leather holster FUCK ME 💅🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🍾🍾❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥🤝🏼🤝🏼

[Celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️: All I could wish for. Thanks for writing this for us 🫶

[Crystal Holland]

Yes this is another Dramione fanfic. Yes it was another delightful mystery and return to the HP Universe. Yes I love the reformed Draco more than I care to admit. Yes I’m going to read another. No I don’t want to talk about it.

[Nade]

I thoroughly enjoyed this fic!

[Carolina Encina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dramione nunca falla

[LReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This is the 10th Draco/Hermione romance I've read, so it's time to get a little reflective about this highly popular subgenre of Harry Potter fan fiction. Dramione fanfic appeals to me (and, I suspect, to most readers) because it dares to ask: what happens when a bully, raised by an aristocratic family of racists/classists/sexists, has a massive change of heart when his world is destroyed by the hatred his ancestors espoused? What happens when the once-target of his hate-fueled vitriol becomes his greatest desire? And what happens when she...maybe...sort of...wants him, too?

Of course, how the toxic horniness plays out depends greatly on whether the fic leaves the original storyline intact (the good guys win) or not, as that dictates the degree to which our would-be lovers would be aligned, to begin with. But all versions of the story commit to showing what JKR and the films failed to give audiences: Draco’s redemption and Hermione’s rightful claim to main character status. The edgier fics present Draco as a tortured soul and Hermione as actively resistant to her toxic attraction to him--e.g., Manacled, The Auction, The Right Thing to Do. Lighter versions, including Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love, give us the ember glow of a slow burn, in which bants yield to begrudging friendship and, eventually, to tender passion.

This one seems to give readers neither the dark nor the lighter version of the D/H delayed gratification game. And while there’s a certain appeal to just getting on with the getting it on, I think the story is less interesting to me for the lack of romantic buildup between two characters who are canonically enemies.

The story, essentially, goes: Draco and Hermione are linked post-war by the marriage of their best friends, Theo and Harry, who have them both round for tea every Monday. (Harry and Theo are cute together, but we are not told how that came to be.) When Hermione is uncharacteristically careless in her work at the ministry archives and cuts her hand on a matrimonial knife she’s cataloging, she finds herself cursed to be magically transported to the Malfoy heir…specifically, to his bed…at midnight every night. Draco and Hermione pretty quickly learn that close proximity in the wee hours makes it impossible to resist their attraction. But as the knife’s curse slowly starts to drain the life from Hermione, they must race against time to save her—and, as it turns out, to uncover another Malfoy family secret that will cause an uproar in the wizarding world.

So, the mystery of the knife is fine—a creative device to yeet Hermione toward Draco. The issue is that the romantic tension between them is cut almost instantly, and the only resistance to their relationship comes from random ministry cursebreaker “Halpert” (Jim??), who notes that their lustfulness has a powerful effect on the cursed knife, so could they please knock it off. Unlike DMatMOoBiL, we don’t see D and H quietly showing their growing affection over time; rather, it’s mere days from weakly snarking at Harry and Theo’s dinner table to (literally) “I’ll thank you take your hands off my wife.”

Exacerbating the lack of romantic tension, we also have no idea what D and H’s lives have been like in the many years since the war, so we have no sense of what they might want or how they might be feeling. Malfoy is an auror, but we don’t get to see him auror-ing, and we don't know how (un)happy folks were to have a former Deatheater in their highest level of security. Meanwhile, Hermione is stuck living as a platonic third wheel in her best friend's marriage and doing glorified data entry for the government. This arrangement seems a mite sad for the brightest witch of her age, making me miss the mafioso energy of BSaP--but this version of Hermione doesn't seem too bothered. Ron, "still one of her closest friends," doesn’t even get mentioned until the epilogue. Pansy, who is apparently dating Neville, is also not addressed. In perhaps the most egregious absence, which grows into an eventual plot hole, we don’t see Draco and Narcissa interact at all until the very end, which makes no sense. (Neither does the separation of “Malfoy Manor” from the “Malfoy Estate”—where exactly are Draco and Narcissa living??)

Add to this what seem like American speech patterns (“say sike!”), and MMaM just didn’t feel like an immersion into the world we thought we knew for a full-on “what if” fantasy. I mean, fanfic authors owe nothing to anyone for sharing their talents and imaginations with the world, free of charge. But now that I've logged an embarrassing number of hours in Dramione narratives, this one just didn't make good on the peak enemies-to-lovers pining potential that the D+H pairing offers.

Dramione Fics I've read so far:
By Sen Lin Yu:
--> to be re-released as Alchemised


By LovesBitca8/Julie Soto:


--> to be re-released as

By isthisselfcare/Brigitte Knightley:
--> to be re-released as

By Onyx_and_Elm:

(unfinished fic)

By WhatMurdah:

[I'm Fine, Just Tired]

MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT

HERO /HEROINE:
Hermione works in the archives.

Draco works at the ministry. I'm not sure as an aurora or cursebreaker. It sounds like a mix of the two.

REPRESENTATION: Queer Minor Characters (Theodore Knott x Harry Potter)

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Fanfiction is a gift and I'm always grateful for authors and fans that expand upon the worlds I love. That being said, this review is a bit on the negative side.

An undetermined amount of time has passed since the final battle at Hogwarts. It's confusing because there are not a lot of clues as to how far along we are in the story. (At 67% we find out it's been 10 years in total since the war, that info would have been nice to know earlier in the story for context.)
The twist was great, I did not see it coming. I genuinely went into this story thinking it was going to be a straight up marriage by magical circumstances and the couple navigating their new lives together. I was NOT expecting Bellatrix horcrux and secret baby.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
A lot actually.
-Hermione is pretty helpless in this fanfic. She doesn't open any books or search out anything history related to marriage daggers. I'm not sure if it's poor storytelling on the author's part but we hear about everyone else doing the work and she just continues on with her archival job.
-They didn't reach out to Draco’s parents who would have information on the dagger meant for his future wedding. It was the immediately obvious solution. Narcissa LIVES with Draco, like bro, ask your mom!
-Which leads me to the character thought process, it was extremely juvenile. Hermione is much smarter and thoughtful than how the author interpreted her.
-Several spelling and grammar mistakes.
-The verbal sparring was actually annoying.
-Hermione having panic attacks? She was ready to stand by Harry's side while he died in the forest at the final battle. Hermione doesn't get panic attacks, least of all in the thick of things where she is face to face with her death.

FAVORITE QUOTES:
“An insanely intelligent, pretty girl like you, Granger?”
Draco murmured between them, and her eyes widened at the compliments, her heart stuttering pathetically inside her chest,
“especially with tits like yours…”
She choked on a disbelieving, breathy laugh.
“You could rule the fucking world, let alone destroy little old me.”

SAFETY

AGE:
They are in their late 20s, like 28/29

SEXUAL HISTORY:
Draco has been with several women. Hermione’s isn't mentioned, but she isn't a virgin,

CONDOMS:
No

TUMMY BUTTERFLIES:
🦋 1 /5 There was smut, it wasn't very good.
Mutual Masturbation, Draco talks her through it, Sex against bookshelves

PUSH/PULL:
Yes, both of them can not make up their minds. There are hurt feelings and miscommunication that aid in some of these moments.

SEPARATION:
Yes, plenty of times for short periods.

CHEATING:
No

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama:
No

SEX SCENE WITH OW/OM:
No

POSSIBLE PET PEEVES/TRIGGERS:
Torture, Major Blood Loss, Miscarriage

HEA/HFN:
HEA 6 months later, they're having a wedding.

[Margheritagherardi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Avete presente quando eravamo piccole che guardavamo i cartoni Disney e credevamo che la storia di svolgesse in un arco temporale lunghissimo? E quando sei adulto che riguardi Pocahontas e scopri che si svolge in tre giorni ti viene un attimo di: ma veramente tutto sto casino per tre giorni che si conoscono?

Ecco questo preambolo serve per descrivere questa fanfic. Raga la trama che dovrebbe impiegare mesi e mesi per maturare, si svolge in una misera settimana. In quattro giorni i due trottolini si vogliono sposare e si amano. Che voglio dire, ok, può anche capitare il colpo di fulmine, ma qualcosa si perde in credibilità con questa premessa.

Non posso dire che sia una fanfic profonda o ben costruita. L’idea di base (e cioè che Hermione a causa di un incidente con un manufatto incantato dei Malfoy, sia trasportata ogni notte a mezzanotte nella camera di Draco) è molto originale. Mi sarei aspettata una lenta conoscenza e convivenza notturna forzata. Loro che imparano a starsi attorno per poi scoprirsi innamorati. Beh, no, perché la prima notte si stanno già facendo venire gli orgasmi a vicenda.
C’è un qualcosa che mi disturba sempre quando lo smut diventa il punto trainante di un romanzo.

Ah, c’è un bel cameo preso da The Cursed Child.

Ma detto ciò, nulla di ricordabile.

[Giulia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prima di tutto, una premessa doverosa.

Le fanfiction nascono come atti d’amore: scritte nel tempo libero, gratuitamente, senza alcun obbligo verso il lettore. Non sono “prodotti” da giudicare con il righello dell’editoria tradizionale, e valutarle come se lo fossero rischia di essere profondamente irrispettoso.

Detto questo, recensirle può anche essere un modo per riflettere su ciò che ci hanno lasciato, su cosa ha funzionato per noi lettori e su cosa no — non per giudicare l’autore, ma l’esperienza di lettura personale.
E questa è solo la mia.

Meet Me at Midnight parte da un’idea che, sulla carta, è irresistibile: una maledizione che lega Hermione e Draco costringendoli a incontrarsi ogni notte, sempre allo stesso luogo, sempre allo stesso orario. Forzata prossimità, tensione inevitabile, una premessa perfetta per esplorare dinamiche post-guerra, diffidenza, attrazione repressa e — potenzialmente — una lenta, dolorosa riconfigurazione del loro rapporto. Il problema, per me, non è cosa viene raccontato, ma come e quanto velocemente.
La storia accelera da zero a cento nel giro di poche pagine: una grande fetta iniziale è dominata dallo smut, con pochissimo spazio per far respirare il contesto emotivo o per costruire davvero l’intimità tra i personaggi. Quando poi la trama vera e propria inizia a prendere forma — con misteri, maledizioni, segreti di famiglia e svolte più oscure — il ritmo si riequilibra e il racconto diventa decisamente più interessante. Ma a quel punto ho avuto la sensazione di stare leggendo due storie diverse cucite insieme.
L’elemento magico centrale funziona ed è creativo, così come alcune scelte narrative più avanti (che non spoilererò). Si vede che c’è immaginazione e voglia di osare. Tuttavia, il legame tra Draco e Hermione arriva così in fretta da risultare poco credibile: un arco che, per maturare davvero, avrebbe avuto bisogno di settimane, mesi, esitazioni, silenzi. Qui invece tutto si consuma in pochi giorni, con un effetto simile a quello di rivedere da adulti un film dell’infanzia e scoprire che “l’epopea” durava in realtà tre giorni.
Anche la caratterizzazione resta un po’ in superficie. Draco e Hermione funzionano come archetipi Dramione riconoscibili — lui tormentato ma protettivo, lei brillante e combattuta — ma sappiamo poco di come siano arrivati lì dopo la guerra, di cosa desiderino davvero, di cosa temano. Questo rende l’insta-love meno coinvolgente e toglie forza emotiva a momenti che avrebbero potuto colpire molto di più.
Detto ciò, è una lettura scorrevole, coinvolgente a modo suo, con spunti interessanti e alcune trovate che restano impresse. Non è una fanfiction che punta sulla lenta combustione o sulla profondità psicologica, ma su un’intensità immediata, quasi impulsiva. E per alcuni lettori, questo sarà esattamente ciò che cercano.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

War anders als erwartet - besser? I mean hallo plottwist mit dem horcrux und bellas kind, also doch mehr als nur ne schnelle romanze. Ganz gut, nett für zwischendurch. Aber auch nicht megatoll? Werde mir wshl nicht das hauptbuch dazu kaufen.

But there were butterflies. But he was Draco Malfoy. So, the butterflies needed be killed, at all costs. The insufferable ass should not, by any means, cause butterflies. The horror. /14

“I thought all you enjoyed to do was act superior to everyone around you.” She snorted as she plucked up a wine glass and dunked it into the soapy water. “You only think that because when we’re in the same room together, I am superior.” “Oh, you are a witty little thing, Granger,” he said in a low voice laced with humor, “don’t make me spank you.” /15

He reached forward to place a finger on his handkerchief that was still sitting on her desk from the previous morning. “You know I’ll always make time to irritate you, darling.” /78

“Granger,” Draco was saying to her urgently, “nothing is going to happen to you, I swear it, I swear it on my own life, I won’t let anything happen to you—” /93

Cormac had put a hand on her shoulder, and it was then that Draco spoke. “I’ll thank you to take your hand off her, and to stop trying to ask out my wife.” /97

“I confess I’m a little out of control right now,” he said in a quiet voice that still managed to resonate around the elevator, “and if you get any closer, I’m not sure I could hold myself back from pressing you against the wall of this fucking elevator.” /100

“One step, Granger,” he said gruffly, “and I’m yours.” Hermione rolled her tongue across her bottom lip, her hazel eyes piercing into him. Then she pushed off the wall and took a definitive step forward. “Thank fuck,” Draco said and surged towards her. /121

“I… Gods, I don’t want you to hurt anyone… but…” Hermione moved into him, raised her hand and set it against his chest. Draco felt his muscles twitch under her gentle touch. “… something very unhinged inside of me loves it.” /238

“Granger,” he growled as he faced the darkness of the office and glared down at her, “I can’t deal with this right now.” “Yes, yes,” she said with a roll of her eyes, “big, scary Draco Malfoy.” /305

“Did you really think,” he murmured into the top of her head, “that I would let death have the final say?” /433

Stitched into one corner of the handkerchief was a very familiar ‘DLM’, while in the other corner, he’d had stitched ‘HJGM’. /468

[Audio Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out as a cute forced proximity dramione where she keeps ending up in his bed at midnight due to magic, with lots of banter, and some intense sexual tension ... so it felt out of left field when suddenly I realized there were horcruxes and curses and people dying. "Is this even the same book?"
In a way, it felt like the author changed goals halfway through, but I loved what they did with it by the end. The creation of a "love horcrux" was neat, the idea of Bellatrix being alive and in hiding was the bad-guy plot I didn't know I wanted, Delphini was an absolute gem, and they way Delphini related to Harry, Theo, and Teddy warrants a whole sequel based just on them and their found family.

The McClaggen subplot felt out of place and then suddenly forgotten about, and there were just a few too many sex scenes as odd as a complaint as that sounds. Otherwise, it would have been 5 stars.

[Abbie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start this review off same as I do always when reviewing Fan Fiction on Goodreads by saying that I understand the controversy around reviewing fanfic on good reads but it’s the only place I log my reading, so this is for personal looking back only.

Because of that I wanted to add a disclaimer:
It is illegal to purchase fan fiction and is a breach of copyright laws to make money from other peoples characters. If you want a physical copy of this book please download and bind yourself.

I could not put it down.

First fic of tharry and although they were sideline characters I’m not sure I can get behind Theo not being a typical slytherin Yano 😂 although to say that, Draco wasn’t in this fic either.

This was well written, it had a twist I didn’t see coming and I really enjoyed it. I think it could have been a bit longer (just didn’t want it to end) but found that actually it was probably the perfect length and didn’t go on for the sake of it