The Auction

Rights and Wrongs #3

by LovesBitca8

In the wake of the Dark Lord’s triumph over Harry Potter, the defeated must learn their new place. Hermione Granger, former Golden Girl, has been captured and reduced to human chattel. Sold to the highest bidder as the top prize at an auction of Order members and sympathizers, she is thrust into the rabid, waiting hands of the Death Eaters. But despite the horrors of Voldemort’s new world, help—and hope—seem to arise from the most unlikely of places.

PART 3 of the RIGHTS AND WRONGS series.

Genres: Fan Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Romantasy

1282 pages, ebook

Published June 5, 2019

About the author

Fanfiction pen name for Julie Soto.

Reviews

[⚔Irunía⚔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Malfoy men may not be saints, but they worship their women fervently.

— the whole story, each and every page is a literal testament to that.

🕸️ Yet again superb, above-average writing that failed to touch me on an emotional/spiritual level: I was interested, intrigued, and amused but never sad, sympathetic, or horrified.

🕸️ My attention wavered, which annoyed me - at some point I felt tired and exhausted but still hooked just enough not to be able to abandon the monstrosity that is this fanfic. I skipped some scenes, I reread the others.

🕸️ A bit more complex than a regular porn-fest. I know I'm weird, I read fanfics for the plot.. 🌚

🕸️ Surreal love between these two. I'm not bitter, not at all.

🕸️ Hermione is one smart-dumb bitch in this story, someone shake some sense into her (okay, I forgive her, her love for my grumpy, emotionally stupefied Draco redeemed this gal in my eyes).

🕸️ Voldemort-wins AU fanfics are my favorite for a reason.

P.S. like the perviest perv I was utterly transfixed by the forced non-con scene.

She struggled against the hand on her spine as he rutted against her, pressing the most intimate parts of themselves together.
"You know how I like it when you fight."
Tears pushed against her eyelids. Her body sagged into the mattress, exhausted.

I hope one day the author will write a fanfic with dark romance in it or a really dark fic because this one was a child's play. Malfoy pampering Hermione like a princess isn't remotely dark, it's my dream man fantasy personified, and I don't care about any other muggle-bitch's suffering.

He climbed over her hips, holding her legs down with his weight.
She jerked her torso and caught sight of his eyes.
Dead.
Irises black with arousal.
But there was no glint of enjoyment.
When he caught her staring, he smirked down at her, grabbed her jaw, and said, "You want me to fuck your mouth again, Granger?"
Her eyes went wide. She sucked in air. "Draco—"
He pushed his palm against her mouth, silencing her. "Not interested in your opinion."

FUCK. ME. IS THAT THE VILLAINOUS POTENTIAL I SEE SHINING RIGHT THROUGH HIS CARING, LOVING, REVERENT ATTITUDE.


This whole scene is gonna live rent-free in my head for the rest of my life. Only a woman is capable of making rape sound hot. 🌚 A pity it was a fake rape scene, yet even I have to acknowledge the fakeness of it fit the story and the smitten lover boy. I've been played, but that's okay. Let me cry silently in the darkness of my room. <3

He grunted, his hips thrusting into his hand. She watched his features glaze over briefly before turning icy again, his gaze back to her face.
"Gonna paint my name on your tits, Granger."
She could do nothing but exist underneath him as he jerked his hand. When a slow tear trailed out of her left eye, he reached forward and turned her face to the side.

You should never ask me how many times I reread that chapter (the 13th chapter, for future reverance reference 👉🏻👈🏻), it will get embarrassing for both of us sjsjsj

[Madeleine Knutsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved the story, but so disappointed with the end.

[Ayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

some words i have for draco malfoy in this fic:

𝗙antastic
𝗨nreal
𝗖ontrol
𝗞nowledgeable
𝗠emorable
𝗘xcellent

no one has ever gone through as great lengths as this to protect someone they have “feeling” for: "you’re in so much danger here, i assure you.” malfoy men may not be saints, but they worship their women fervently.” i’m pushing back my hair around my ears and biting my lip 🫦

i was emotionally spiraling reading this fic tbh. the tension? elite. the slow burn? devastating. the payoff? chef’s kiss. draco malfoy in this? peak fanfic husband material. hermione? a whole queen with emotional depth and zero tolerance for nonsense.

draco’s arc is one of the most nuanced I’ve read, and Hermione’s strength doesn’t come from being ‘strong,’ but from being vulnerable, angry, and complicated. it’s not just about romance. it’s about rebuilding when everything’s been taken from you. hermione you are the brightest witch of your age 🙂‍↕️😩🫶🏽🥹💚

this fic hits different. it’s dark, layered, and unapologetically raw. the pacing lets the characters breathe, and you can feel the weight of their past in every scene. like when draco threw away that suicide pill hermione was gonna take. saying “your life isn’t yours to take” so fuck me with a chainsaw why don’t you? 🎀💕🫶🏽

that last chapter edged tf out of me. like draco was gone for like 5 chapters only to show up at the very end and say like 2 lines? still loved it tho 🫣

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐ Well developed Dark AU Dramione Fanfic. My favorite story from the Rights and Wrongs series


Word Count: 325,702 | Chapters: 41


Trigger Warning: This story is extremely dark with moments of non-consent, violence, sexual slavery, sexual assault, sterilization, and character death. Implied moments of suicide and rape of minor characters.


Summary:

Set in an alternate universe based on concepts introduced in the first two books of the Rights and Wrongs series, Harry Potter is dead, Voldemort has won, and many Order members and sympathizers have been captured. Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Cho, Ron, and Neville are just a few who now wait to be sold to the highest bidder at 'The Auction.' The top prizes are Hermione, former Golden Girl, and Ginny, love of the late Harry Potter, with starting bids of 15,000 galleons - adding 5,000 galleons if they are virgins (which Hermione is).

After an intense bidding war between Dolohov and Draco Malfoy and a surprising turn of events, Hermione is delivered to Malfoy Manor to now serve her Death Eater master in whatever capacity he sees fit. Constantly on guard and expecting the worst, Hermione is surprised when she is shown kindness from Narcissa and not assaulted by any Malfoy men. She concludes that the Malfoy family is keeping her safe to use as a bargaining chip in case Voldemort is overthrown. But after many instances where Draco and his mother protect her from the horrors of Voldemort's new world, she begins to wonder if it's something more. Regardless, Hermione intends to use whatever leniency she is given to continue fighting for the Order and defeat Voldemort.


My Thoughts:


Absolutely LOVE the storyline. It's unique, engaging, surprising, romantic, horrifying, and emotional. The themes are dark, and the situations are realistic for this alternative HP universe. The author does an incredible job weaving this complex story together. It's crazy how even the smallest details end up being so significant. The story is well thought out, and the delivery is spectacular. 5/5 stars.


The world-building is, dare I say, flawless. The details that went into this book - from complex character personalities to minor potion ingredients - were so spot on that this story could easily be part of the canon Harry Potter series. A few other things that blew me away were the development of the new world under Voldemort, expanding the magic system (especially surrounding the use of occlumency), and the continuing wizarding war/trials. The author went above and beyond in their research and planning to create a near-perfect dark wizarding alternative reality. 5/5 stars.


This Dramione romance is epic. It falls under the forbidden love / 'touch her and you die' trope. It's a slow-burn romance with plenty of sexual tension and heart-pounding moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. There's lots of spice. These sex scenes will definitely have you feeling all the things, if you know what I mean. 😉

I was happy that we were provided more backstories and explanations about Draco and Hermione's years of pining after one another at Hogwarts, which we didn't see in the other Rights and Wrongs stories. I think that might be why I like this version of Draco and Hermione best, even if it's darker and heartbreaking.

I also loved that we don't just jump into the romance. The Malfoys are complicit in war crimes, sex slavery, torture, murder, etc., under Lord Voldemort's regime, and obviously, Hermione does not look past this. In fact, these things are obstacles in Draco and Hermione's relationship. However, the more time she spends with the Malfoys and understands their motives, Hermione softens and begins to care for them.


I am impressed by the parallels drawn between the rest of the Rights and Wrongs series. You definitely don't need to read the first two books before The Auction, but I think you will appreciate this story so much more if you do.


SPOILERS AHEAD in the next paragraph


I'm obsessed with these secondary characters. Narcissa, Mippy, Pansy, Blaise, and Lucius (I did not see that coming 😭). I love how Narcissa basically adopts Hermione as her own daughter. I love how damn adorable Mippy and the rest of the house-elves are. I love Pansy's incredible courage and unwavering support. I love Blaise for his subtle humor and bravery. And finally, I love that Lucius was willing to taint his soul in order to protect his family. When we find out the other reason for virginity ritual . . . I definitely teared up a bit. No matter how cruel Lucius seemed, he was always doing everything for Draco's happiness and future. I love this Lucius and am so sad he doesn't get a happier ending.


I only have two complaints:


The pacing could have been better. We start strong, but there are quite a few slow moments in the middle and then an abrupt, somewhat boring ending. It all made sense, but something was off about it, and it didn't hold my attention well. I definitely put this book down a few times to do other activities, which generally doesn't happen if I'm super invested.


There needed to be an epilogue. This goes with my point above on how the ending was rushed and boring for a bit. I was especially bored during the trials. I actually skimmed over these because I was just WAITING for Draco to finally show back up. But once he did, the story was over. 😭 I wanted a glimpse into the future of Draco and Hermione. I needed more.


Overall, after Manacled and Remain Nameless, The Auction is one of the most well developed Dramione fanfics. I'm amazed at the details of the world-building and the storyline. The only reason why it's not one of my favorites is that I just don't feel compelled by the writing. LovesBitca8 didn't do anything wrong, but I just couldn't quite attach myself to this story even though it's an incredible one. Not sure if that makes sense. Regardless, I still think this is a MUST-READ! So many amazing moments and plot twists.


My Current Dramione Fanfic Rankings

⭐ = Must-Reads
🌶️ = Best Smut


Novels (150,000+ words):

1. Manacled - SenLinYu ⭐
2. Remain Nameless - HeyJude19 ⭐🌶️
3. Cruel and Beautiful World - Lena Phoria
4. The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy - Speechwriter ⭐
5. Various Storms and Saints - ViridianAtNight
6. Isolation - Bex-Chan ⭐
7. Bring Him To His Knees - Musyc 🌶️
8. The Auction - LovesBitca8 ⭐
9. All You Want - SenLinYu 🌶️
10. Breath Mints / Battle Scars - Onyx_and_Elm 🌶️
11. The Right Thing To Do - LovesBitca8
12. Beginning and End - MightBeWriting
13. The Gloriana Set - ThebeMoon
14. All The Wrong Things - LovesBitca8
15. Hunted - Bex-Chan
16. The Fallout - EveryThursday (DNF)


Novellas (less than 150,000 words):

1. Hot For Teacher - MotherOfBulls ⭐🌶️
2. Apple Pies and Other Amends - ToEatAPeach ⭐
3. Thirteenth Night - Nelpher ⭐
4. Sex Ed - MrBenzedrine89 🌶️
5. Still Life - monsterleadmehome
6. A Second Look - RiverWriter
7. The Best Of Me - MrsRen
8. Silencio - AkashaTheKitty
9. Wait and Hope - MightBeWriting
10. Between Certifiable and Bliss - HeyJude19
11. Incomplete - Niffizzle
12. Love and Other Misfortunes - SenLinYu
13. An Indefinite Amount of Forever - MotherOfBulls (sequel)
14. Making Amends - slytherin_prince27
15. Proximate - In_Dreams
16. The List - AureliaBlack90
17. The Erised Effect - Ada_P_Rix


Short Stories (less than 50,000 words):

1. Best Shot - AccioMjolnir ⭐
2. The Library of Alexandria - SenLinYu ⭐
3. The First Rule of Fight Club… - LadyKenz347
4. Until The Ink Runs Dry & Indelible Ink - AccioMjolnir
5. Break For Me - Ada_P_Rix 🌶️
6. Call It What You Want - HawthorneWhisperer
7.Under The Wings of The Shadow - AccioMjolnir
8. The Watergaw - smokybaltic
9. Write For Me - Ada_P_Rix
10. Amateur Cartography - worksofstone
11. Blood Rights - uselessenglishmajor
12. Big Dick Energy - louiseob
13. Jammed - Ada_P_Rix
14. One and Done - PacificRimbaud


One Shots (less than 15,000 words):

1. Your Lonely Calls To Me - SenLinYu ⭐
2. The Unbearable Tedium of Romance - smokybaltic
3. For Her - dirtymudblood
4. Because You’ll Like it - BedtimeFantasies 🌶️
5. A Patient Man - LadyKenz347
6. Between Pages - DarkoftheMoon
7. An Unlikely Companion & An Unlikely Family - happy_valley
8. Potions, Perfume, and Apples - ellywolf111
9. Les Pelerins - PacificRumbaud
10. Like A Dagger To The Heart - hxllowsandhorcruxes
11. Fantasy - krissyxkat 🌶️
12. Head over Dragonhide Thigh High Heels - rubykrishna
13. Coming Down - nikitajobson and raven_maiden
14. A Matter of Practicality - OlivieBlake
15. Elevator - its_banannaz
16. Preface - ephemeraltoxic
17. Friends - poppyclocks
18. Familiar Faces, Worn Out Places - LovesBitca8
19. The Art of Seating Etiquette - inadaze22
20. Self-Preservation - SenLinYu
21. Height - SenLinYu
22. Minimal Risk - Galfoy
23. The Seduction - SenLinYu
24. Chasing For Keeps - In_Dreams
25. The Labyrinth - AccioMjolnir
26. Who Am I To You? - ViridianAtNight
27. Knee Socks - trix_of_bella
28. Quiver - Keii_sha

[NAT.orious reads ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS ★★★★✬

This book is for you if…

⤐ ... fanfiction makes a book even more enjoyable to you.
⤐ ... Ron + Hermoine ending up together is as laughable to you as it is to me
⤐ ... you, like me, have a (n immature, perhaps?) preference for tortured bad boys
⤐ ... read Manacled and want something like that

⤐ Additionally.
Hello everyone, how very kind of you to come to my funeral speech. Ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between and outside of that funeral. It's time.


At this point it has become obvious to me that reading Dramione fanfiction will remain a lifelong passion of mine. There is just something about The Angst™ the entire fandom seems to agree on between the two of them that draws me in like a moth to a flame. Even though most fanfictions that feature Dramione are painful (rightfully so), it's a bittersweet pain that I would not want to miss. What can I say, I'm a masochist. And their bickering is just

‘If you don’t join Mother and me downstairs, she will have my head.’ She snorted, turning back to her tea service ‘I’m not sure how that’s my problem.’ A pause. ‘I can’t get you your books if you don’t have a head.’ ‘I’m positive Mippy would be just as useful in that department. I wouldn’t need you at all.’

‘I know you hate questions-‘ ‘I don’t hate questions-‘ ‘They put you into a ‘mood’’ ‘They don’t. You put me in a mood.’

‘You wanna know what my Galleons bought me, Granger?’ ‘Get off me-‘ ‘An ungrateful little shrew with a hero complex-‘ ‘You arsehole-‘ ‘-who only aims to make my life more complicated-‘ ‘You have no moral code, Malfoy-‘ ‘-has given me nothing but torture for months-‘ ‘My apologies for being such a burden on you! If it’s been such torture having me here, then why do you care what I do with my life?’

I compared The Auction to Manacled , and before any of you come at me with whaaat but Manacled was so much better, yadda, yadda, yadda. I know, I agree. But this doesn't mean I cannot love The Auction to death. There are obvious parallels between the two, but also differences.

Frankly, The Auction is not quite as traumatising and triggering as Manacled . I'm not even sure it could get much worse than Manacled , if I'm being honest.

Anyways. I loved this story and nobody can convince me otherwise.



P.S.: We love us some Pansy Snark:

‘Merlin, are these McGonagall’s underthings?’ She murmured. ‘Why do I need sexy knickers for tonight?’ Hermione asked, an edge of panic in her voice. ‘You should have sexy knickers for all the nights, Granger.’

⤐ What’s happening.

‘He’d walked to the Forest with purpose. He’d laid down his wand, closed his eyes. She hadn’t been with him. He’d been alone. Harry had died doing what he thought was right, but he’d failed. The Horcrux lived on. And he’d died in its place.’

spoiler alert : and it had cost the wizarding world - members of the resistance especially - so much more than they could have ever dreamed of. Prepare for an extremely triggering, dark and traumatising reality.
_____________________
5 STARS. Absolutely loved it. Memorable read that I'm likely to return to. Takes up space in my mind long after I've finished it. Oftentimes a particularly insightful read. Will recommend it with my last breath.

4 STARS. Would stay up beyond my typical hours to finish it. I found some minor details I didn't like, agree with or lacked in some kind but overall, this was enjoyable and extraordinary.

[m · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't fucking breathe. He came back to the cornerstone shop on a Saturday.

"But I'm not going yet."Her hand dropped, her lips parting. "No?" Only an arm's length away.
"Tomorrow sounds nice, doesn't it?" His hands rested on the counter, and she stared down at them, aching."It does."

I love them. this was a fucking masterpiece. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THEM LIKE I DO.SCREAMING CRYING SHAKING THROWING UP. THEY'RE. MY. EVERYTHING.

important note: do not listen to the great war during chapters 35-40 or else you'll end up like me
clutching my phone to my chest and crying on the floor

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

i honestly don’t even know where to begin
i’m a mess right now
that broke me over and over again
who the fuck said i could love LUCIUS MALFOY like that-
the writing and everything to do with the parallels was incredible

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m obviously in the minority on this one. I’ve read quite a few Dramione fanfics and this one, along with the rest in The Rights and Wrongs series, came very highly recommended. I started with The Right Thing to Do and found it ok…fine…nothing special. I didn’t read All the Wrong Things because I didn’t love the first one enough to reread the same story from Draco’s perspective. But The Auction was the most highly rated and recommended of the three so I had high expectations. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t live up to the hype.

The writing wasn’t terrible…but it wasn’t great either. My biggest complaint is that it was WAY TOO LONG. I listened to the audiobook on Spotify and it was 41 chapters long, averaging an hour each. That’s in the same vein as Outlander, Brandon Sanderson and GRRM. It definitely needed editing down - I’m talking like 350-400 pages worth! There were so many repetitive scenes and unnecessary exposition that did nothing to move the plot forward. I felt like we went back to Edinburgh castle 15 times and saw the same scene play out each time. It was completely unnecessary. The back and forth between Draco and Hermione was also strung out far too long. I don’t mind a slow burn but this was too excessive for my tastes. You knew what was coming and yet it took until about 70% of the way in to actually get any payoff.

I also didn’t love the portrayal of Hermione in this one. I don’t need her to be a he-man-woman-hater, but I do need her to be smarter and more cunning than she’s portrayed in this book. She made dumb decision after dumb decision and acted like she had absolutely zero idea that Draco was doing all these things because he liked her. It just left me feeling more and more irritated towards her as the book progressed.

Anyway…I was really looking forward to this one because of all the hype, but I was extremely disappointed. Just read Manacled and skip this whole series. It’s not the worst I’ve read, but it’s mediocre at best. I feel stupid for wasting as much time as I did on a series I feel is “meh”, when I could’ve used those 41 hours to get through another Stormlight Archives book.

It’s a no for me.

[logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh i’m in it now

[Laurens.Little.Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He released a low groan that sounded like a lifetime of agony fading from his soul."

This story cracked me open in the best way. It's everything a novel should be. Fanfiction or not, if it's literature that sweeps the floor with 98% of everything else I read this year, I'm calling it a novel.

LovesBitca8 and her two brilliant beta-readers/editors deserve all the praise this story gets. The writing is gorgeous. The characterizations of not only Hermione and Draco but almost all the secondary characters were so well done, riding the line of being canon-compliant enough not to jar the reader while also being 100% believable within the context of the alternate universe (AU) we inhabit within The Auction.

I have no doubt I'll be re-reading this many times in the years to come. It's perfect.

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

“I was trying t to get back to you with every breath, and all the while, you were falling in love with Draco Malfoy”

i don't rate or "review" fanfic, but i really liked reading this. and because i know you all want to know - it for sure is darker with content, yet lighter with enemies to lovers, than manacled. this does feel very similar in plot, but the thing i can't really wrap my mind around is why i liked hermione so much less in this, yet draco a little more, perhaps. maybe i just really do just like a good guy who is down so extremely bad! yet the end of this fic? eh, it just... it was all too much of everything but the romance. but yeah... i read this in anticipation for rose in chains and i can't wait to see how this is adapted without my cursed internet roots nostalgia ip that i carry very deeply in my heart, apparently. (that i am apparently also carrying alongside all the publishing houses in 2025!)

tldr - if you really liked the scene in acomaf with rhysand and feyre pretending at the court of nightmares? you will probably eat this up.

lastly - something i wasn't expecting was that this fic was being written/updated when the pandemic hit here in the states, so it did feel a little extra wild to read, just because i was not expecting that!

blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Anticipation is the sweetest torture, is it not?”

if you've read Manacled, you'll be familiar with the idea here: Harry dies, Voldemort wins, and Hermione ends up as a slave in the Malfoy Manor. The Auction is significantly less dark though (which I was thankful for), yet, sadly, not as good.. but still good enough to inhale the 325,702 words (!!!!!!) in a couple of days. what is it about Dramione fanfics? 🥴

my interest wavered throughout the novel, but the beginning with the slaves auction and the preparation for it had my eyes glued to the screen. i was expecting dark content though, so when Hermione arrives at the manor and is pretty much treated like a princess i was a liiiittle disappointed, to say the least. it's not like i wanted bad things to happen to her 🤣 but i do like being afraid of what might happen, not knowing how Draco will treat her, etc. yet the moment she arrives, Narcissa assures her she'll be safe there, so i was



waiting to feel something lol.

HOWEVER, just because she's "safe" there doesn't mean she's safe anywhere else. that's where it started getting more interesting for me. whenever they received a visitor or Draco and Hermione needed to attend some place, they had to pretend things were a lot different. basically, this has the fake relationship trope but instead of her acting as his girlfriend, she pretends to be his sex slave 🥰🤪

and it was sooooo good omg. i loved the juxtaposition of Draco being so respectful and considerate when they were alone, yet straight up an asshole when they were surrounded by Death Eaters. i was fucking transfixed by some scenes and how full of tension they were: i never knew if they were about to blow the whole thing up, if something was gonna happen to Hermione, and whether Draco meant some of the shit he said or not 😭

“When she's close, it's just like she's back in class, anxious to get an answer right. Can't stop moving, can't shut her mouth.” Her stomach was tight as his fingers threaded in the hair behind her ear, tilting her face to him. “I'd rather slide into her when she's wet, and hating herself for it.”

please don't ask me if i wanted him to mean it 🤍

“I'm not sure how many more times I need to say it,” he whispered, and the room was barely breathing. “That Mudblood is mine. Her mouth is mine, her cunt is mine, her skin is mine.”

not me salivating over him calling her mudblood 🤗

the romance was really good, though. this being over 300k words long, it's obviously a slowburn. and yes, some scenes are repetitive, unnecessary, and long af. but the way their relationship progresses 😭💖 i loved the scenes where they would practice touching each other (so that they'd be able to fool other people, when in reality they were just fooling themselves 😌). even the slooooow progression to sex was really well done. the smut had a good balance of being sweet & hot at the same time.

Her breath stuttered in her chest, her walls fluttering — so close.
“Fuck.” Draco panted harshly against her jaw. “Felt that.” She flushed. “Gonna make you come all over my sheets, Granger.”

for me, it's the way he called her Granger at all times 🥰🥵

but then he'd just—

“You're a fucking dream, do you know that?”

obsessed draco is such a good trope. wish it had been canon 😔

i was invested for the majority of the story, but the last 20% was a bitch to get through. that's when i realized i didn't care so much about the plot not them looking for an horcrux and blah.. i'd watch hp7 if i wanted that 😭. it became really tedious at that point, and i'm also not particularly satisfied with the ending.. hence the reason this is not a 5 star read. believe it or not, even with how long this was, it really needed an epilogue 🙃

but ending and plot aside, i'm astonished by how well written this was. it never fails to amaze me with fanfic writers.. the fact that this author probably never even got $1 for writing this yet it's SO MUCH BETTER than a lot of published novels. i can't even imagine the effort she put into this 😭✨

overall, a really good story that i recommend, just make sure you have lots of free time and patience cause it's fucking long shdkj. but now i'm in the mood to read even more dramione fanfics 😭

“The Malfoy men may not be saints, but they worship their women fervently.”

art by @gildedshivers that has nothing to do with this novel, but look at how cute they are fshdfk the superior aesthetic my god 🛐

[Teresa González · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess my Dramione journey started and ended with Manacled because this was disappointing...

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! Like.. this was a great one.

But.. come LoveBitca8... to make the trials last for 20% of the end of the book. And no fucking EPILOUGE?!

Kick rocks. Like. No. The angst to HEA ratio is skewed waaaaayyyyy to much one way. No one likes that much suffering without joy to balance it.

4 Stars
3 on the spice scale.

[shays.bookmarks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just read Manacled instead.


This is some watered-down version of Hermione Granger. And don’t get me started on Draco 😤

[Jasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

this ending really pissed me the fuck off. it had no reason to be as long as it was - it was incredible at blue balling the fuck out of you after you’ve spent hours of your life reading about this stupid fucking ship just for 99% of the third act to be about shitty government rules and regulations and corrupt regiments. So fucking stupid after such an amazing and beautiful build up wrought with tension, anxiety, fear, and love. I am SO disappointed with how this ended, but I loved the writing and characters. I really really really intensely wish this wasn’t ruined by such an overwritten and drawn out, overcomplicated ending. I understand the writer wanted to tie up every single loose end ever, but at a certain point it really needed to be reigned back in. It was too much and lost a lot of my favor.

[rose — omigod, can u let me do what i need to do? · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is just so mediocre lol

- hermione is so annoying holy shit she's out here arguing with the malfoys and being disrespectful as she's living like a princess. girl be fucking grateful your friends are being sex slaves as you get to frolic around a giant mansion
- she's so stupid too. like at the start she suspects the malfoys will poison her like... be so serious they cannot kill you because of voldemort and if your ass was gonna die it'd be a public execution. and her ass manages to get caught eavesdropping! she's so fucking useless i can't
- whatever plot there is is so boring my eyes were glazing over as i skimmed through everything

[Milinas Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is insane. I know that the auction is really popular to read on its own- but it is SO MUCH better if you read the entire series first. This version of Draco and Hermione are my favorite and getting to see their years of pining from so many sides/scenarios is so good. The parallels between all three books are so insane and well done that I wish I had physical copies so I could annotate the shit out of it. This was the dark version of their relationship- and it was very interesting but HEARTBREAKING. because you KNOW how they would have been If Voldemort died. Draco is so whipped for Hermione and does anything he can for her without fucking question. He can’t say no to her- it’s so well done. Agh. I love their relationship and I loved watching another reality of Voldemort getting defeated. love

[Kandi Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

OBSESSED. That's the only way to describe how I felt with this book! I read Manacled last fall and was in the mood for another devastating Dramoine fanfic and MAN did this deliver! I immediately bought Forget Me Not (her traditionally published book under a different name) to support her. The writing in this was fantastic, and I was hanging onto every word. I literally screamed at the end of some of these chapters. The way she ended each one was SO smart and gripping. I stayed up way too late reading more nights than not and I cried at the end. An EASY five stars. Now I'm broken because between this one and Manacled, I feel like I've read the best Dramoine fanfic there is. Anyone have other great recs?!

[ᖰhiᖱeɭia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Petty. Pretentious. Pathetic. Pompous. Puerile. Plodding. Piteous. Predictable. Pointless. Pessimistic. Painful. Pandering. Pained. Paltry. Pompous. Pitiful. Prosy. Poorly-written. Pretend. Pitiful. Pompous. Phony. Pale. Puerile. Pedestrian. Padded. Patronizing. Piffle. Perfunctory. Preposterous. Provincial. Plebeian. Pathos-laden. Pointlessly dramatic. Pseudo-romantic. Passé. Puzzling. Placid. Precarious. Pitched poorly. Primitive. Parodic. Presumptuous. Perplexing. Pompously cliched. Patchy. Pungently poor. Pernicious.
Phew.

DNF @40%

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 🌟 - 2 🌶️

The BIGGEST disappointment of this year for me I think… let me start off by saying that I read the first two in this series and LOVED them (I think they maybe be my top books of the year together). So I was excited to read this last book, that gives a completely different take on it the ending of the war went wrong. The concept had so much potential.

Part one of the book was great. A little bit of a slow burn, but I was entertained, loved seeing all the little hits and nudges to the first books in the series, and chomping at the bit for Draco and Hermione scenes.

Part 2 is where it just went downhill… it dragged on and on and on… this book could have been 200 pages shorter EASILY… also don’t get me started on how Hermione never actually got to tell Draco she loved him..?? And no epilogue..?? Disappointed

[Valkyrie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so amazing but had the worst ending. I’m so mad about it 😅

[&#x1065a; moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE PROPHET

HERMIONE GRANGER AND DRACO MALFOY : STAR-CROSSED LOVERS.

22th june 2025.

Dear readers, please take a seat. Let me introduce myself — Mounia, a new journalist at THE PROPHET.

Today, we reunite to read about two lovers — Hermione and Draco — and about a woman — Moon — who read their story.
Rest assured, I’ll try to convey her feelings as best as possible.

Many people know the book The Auction by Lovebitca8. It’s a well-known book in the Dramione community. Until recently, it was just a mention in Moon’s mind — and now, it has become a part of her.

“Why?” he said, voice softer than the wind.
“It’s the right thing to do.”

“I loved him for years before he saved me.” She lifted her eyes, watching the words float on a string to him. “And I love him still.”

She had never really felt drawn to Dramione fanfiction before.
In fact, she had never read one until today. She could imagine the idea, sure — but now she completely understands the potential of this ship.
She totally gets it, and honestly, she wishes she had discovered it so much sooner.

She absolutely loved this story.
She’s in love with this book — and everything it made her feel.

During our interview, Moon kindly gave us a list of the book’s tropes:

𐙚 Dramione fanfiction
𐙚 Forced proximity
𐙚 Slow, really slow burn
𐙚 War setting
𐙚 Found family
𐙚 Hurt/comfort
𐙚 Morally grey characters
𐙚 TW: slavery, rape, sexual abuse, violence, death, mass death, grief, suicide.
𐙚 Happy ending

For those who are discovering this book, let me summarize it for you:

After Harry Potter’s death, everything changes.
The wizarding world falls. Voldemort wins, and the Death Eaters take over the Ministry of Magic. Power belongs to the Purebloods now, and Muggle-borns are hunted, captured, and treated like property.

Hermione Granger, one of the last standing members of the Golden Trio, is caught. Under the new regime, she’s put up for auction — just like many others.

And to everyone’s surprise, Draco Malfoy is the one who buys her.

Moon absolutely loved reading this book — partly because the writing style is genuinely perfect, and mostly because the story is so incredibly well executed.
From start to finish, nothing felt unnecessary. Every detail mattered. Everything was so well thought out.

Yes, it’s a long read — but she said that it is 100% worth it. It’s captivating, immersive, and it was so easy for her to fall into it and connect with the characters.

She didn’t expect much going in, but she ended up completely hooked. She couldn’t put it down. She needed to keep reading, to know what would happen next.

She literally spent the whole day, most of the night, and this morning reading it. She couldn’t stop — and honestly, she’s so glad she didn’t.

She’s labeled this book as life-changing — because for her, it truly is.
Normally, she only adds books to that category if they’ve made her feel extremely deep emotions, or if they’ve left such a mark that she has to reread them.
Before The Auction, there were only two books on that list.
That should tell you just how much it takes for something to be included there.

(These books are on this list because of what they personally mean to her. You might think they’re undeserving, or even dislike them — and that’s completely fine. But for her, they matter deeply. That’s the whole point.)

So yes, life-changing.
This book made her feel such intense emotions — it broke her, healed her, consumed her. She was obsessed. She couldn’t stop reading, and whenever she had to pause, she felt this strange emptiness.

And yes, she fully plans to reread it. Probably more than once.
And i'm quoting her : "It’s the kind of story that stays with you, the kind you need to return to just to feel everything all over again."

Thanks to this fic, she now knows she’s absolutely diving headfirst into her growing love for Dramione fanfiction. And honestly? She couldn’t be more excited about it.

Granger, I have some important business in Italy. Allow me to head off your questions.
No—I don’t know for how long.
No—I can’t say why. Yet.
Yes—if I am home by Friday, we will still be going to Edinburgh.
Yes—I’ve eaten breakfast. How kind of you to ask.
D.M.

She absolutely loved the relationship between Hermione and Draco.
That said, she wants to be clear: not everything that happened between them was okay — and she’s not trying to excuse it. Some scenes were difficult, like the slap or the moment in Hermione’s room. These things weren’t justifiable, but they were a reflection of the morally grey tone of the story and the extreme constraints of the world they were living in.

Draco didn’t rape her but yes, he sexually assaulted her. And that’s something Hermione herself recognizes in the story.

She mentions this because she doesn’t want anyone to think she’s romanticizing or idealizing their relationship. Nothing about it was ideal. They met in the middle of war. Draco had literally bought Hermione at an auction. There was power imbalance, pain, and trauma.

But within that, what made their story so powerful for her is that they still managed to find each other. They managed to understand one another, to learn, to grow, and to love.

"The Malfoy men may not be saints, but they worship their women fervently.”

That’s what she fell in love with.
She loved watching them start off distant, cautious, full of uncertainty — and then slowly becoming curious, close, protective… even desperate for each other.

“What’s the point of working on this research with me if you have no intention of helping me?”
“You asked me to.” His eyes flickered before returning to an icy slate.

She loved seeing Draco soften for Hermione, give in to her every request, lose control because of how deeply he felt.
She loved watching them realize that the feelings they may have buried since their days at Hogwarts were still there — and that despite the horror of their circumstances, those feelings were real, and mutual.

So this relationship that she loved, along with everything else — the ongoing war, the political intrigues, Hermione’s determination to save her friends and how she pushed herself, Draco helping her, Narcissa, Lucius, everything — it all made the story absolutely incredible.

“There is no debt, Hermione,” she said firmly, but kindly. A soft smile across her features. “I take care of my own.”

She really loved the relationship Hermione builds with Narcissa. She becomes somewhat of a friend, almost like a mother figure to Hermione. Or at least, she’s always there for her, and in difficult moments, their presence comforts each other.

And she liked seeing that even though Lucius never really showed affection towards Hermione directly, you know that deep down, he thought about her from the beginning all the way to the end.

And here is where the interview ends. Moon spoke at length — I think you can tell from the length of this article.
She thanks us for the interview and thanks you for your attention.

Moon thus showed us that for all these reasons, she loved her reading. She finished this book with a heart full of emotions but light and happy.

You will also find on page two a list of quotes she liked and highlighted while reading this book.

Thank you, dear readers, for your patience, and stay tuned — you might be reading from me again very soon.


𐙚 Quotes

"I always knew you'd kill me one day, Granger," he rasped.

Hermione stared at the parchment. "For me?"
"Yes," Narcissa said. "He had to leave rather abruptly, and he wanted to put your mind at ease." Hermione blinked, gaping up at her.
"He said that?"
"Technically, I believe he said, 'that bloody witch will give me hell if I disappear.' But I'm sure those were his true sentiments."

She spun, taking a breath to ask—"Yes, Granger," he said flatly, walking away from her. "We'll go to Edinburgh tonight." And then under his breath, "Bloody woman…"

Today was her birthday. She had forgotten it. But Draco hadn't.

Something flickered in the grey. He crossed his arms and clenched his jaw. "If this idea works—if he loses, and we do a Trade…" His eyes hardened. "No kissing."
She blinked at him. "No. No, of course not."
"Not on the mouth, not on the face," he continued, like he had a list written up somewhere. "No groping, no skin-to-skin contact—" "That might be a little extreme—" "I don't want his hands on your body."

"I want it to be you," she said instead.

"I had feelings for you at school." It rushed out of him, like a tap opening. A fluttering in her chest. Like something inside her was trying to reach him. "It wasn't… I'm sorry to have you find out this way."
"But it wasn't meant to…. it shouldn't have been anything. Potter was supposed to win. And you were supposed to be with Weasley." Draco pressed his eyes closed, and they were wet when he opened them. "But Potter didn't win. And you… you weren't…"

"You tried to buy me at the Auction…because you have feelings for—"
"Because I love you." His eyes lifted to hers. Warm grey.

Once they've underestimated you—strike.

He reached for her, and the pieces inside of her mended and rearranged as his fingers threaded between hers, closing the empty spaces between them.

[Daughter of Paper and Stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Preface

The way everyone acts on this one? JAIL.

I understand this is fanfiction and liberties can be taken BUT making Hermione a whinny, one-dimensional, selfish, dumb character should be illegal. She does care about anyone but herself (mind you, her best-friends are sold into slavery). She takes things in stride, NEVER ASKS THE QUESTIONS THAT SHOULD BE ASKED.

She was there to be Draco’s plaything.

Draco was not ✨mysterious ✨. He was… ridiculous?

That is the closer approximation I can think.

I was DONE with the bullcrap. When the thing involving Pollyjuice and Pansy came up… Distraught would be too mild a word for how I felt. Dark romance? This was not dark - it was rather silly at times - it was not romantic. It was possibly just a bad case of the hornies. I gave it chance because The Auction was compared to Manacled .

Both works don’t belong in the same sentence. They don’t belong in the same paragraph or even book.

I’m really struggling to find good Dramione fanfics. I pray this bad spell ends 🙏🏻.

————————————————————————————
RATINGS:

Plot : 3 📚📚📚 A good amount of plot. It stupid plot.

World Building(Immersion): 1.5 🌎💫 Submerged my feet. The descriptions were lacking.

Angst : 3.5 👹👹👹💫 Getting kicked.

Funniness: 1 🌝 There was a joke, but I didn’t even twitch.

Scariness: 1.5 💀💫 It tried.

Romance: 1.5 💖💫 Lowest quality possible.

Spice: 4 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Explicit. It was not fun to read though.

Goriness: 3.5 🫀🫀🫀💫 Hearts got ripped out.

Sadness: 1 🥲 I know the author intended for me to feel something, and I almost did.

Overall star rating :

1 ⭐️- There is a spot in hell just for this book.

————————————————————————————
🚨🚨🚨MILD SPOILERS 🚨🚨🚨

The Chapters:

🔸The ending was bad. Terrible.

Romance Safety:

Not safe. There is a whole dubious consent thing. Lots of other woman drama that was brushed off aside (ex: Pansy using the Pollyjuice potion). Some OM drama. The story was not good. Everyone deserves a time out in a state penitentiary.

————————————————————————————

[Molly Blue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, but no. Hermione is off here, so is Malfoy. The plot too childish and naive at times. A lot was being forcefully done just in order for Draco and Hermione to grope each other. If I ever hear Edinburgh again I would burst, I think. The dystopian reality didn’t feel fleshed out enough, and honestly the whole concept of sex slavery and everything surrounding it, and the way everyone was so focused on it didn’t feel real to me.

[tayler · Rating 5 out of 5]

“the malfoy men may not be saints, but they worship their women fervently.”

the longest, darkest fic i’ve read yet and it was a work of art. the plot, the romance, the character development — it was all done so, so well. i actually started this fic a year ago after reading the right thing to do (in the same series), and put it down because i found i wasn’t in the right headspace, but god i’m glad i picked it up. war fics scare me a bit, and while there were lots of very dark moments (please look up trigger warnings), there were so many amazing moments as well. the way draco would do absolutely anything for hermione in this one kills me, and i loved her relationship with narcissa and lucius. i was both devastated and amazed by this fic. my only complaint was that i wish it had an epilogue so we could get a sneak peak of their hea.

i’ll be thinking about this for a long, long time.

[vee · Rating 2 out of 5]

sept 2023 : i tried.
read this if u want nothing

13 oct 2021 : going slowww. dnf @ first attempt

however

that scene where draco sucks hermione’s poisoned blood so that her arm that was wounded— bellatrix carved it w/ a goblin blade— wouldn’t get infected, after him calling her mudblood his whole life, is giving me hope for how the story will go

so yeah im going back. tis my next read

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never once read something & said out loud “this is going to put me in the hospital” before so there’s that 🤷‍♀️

[Clarice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really ended up enjoying this, more than I thought I would. Solid 4.5 stars.

A few years ago I tried picking this up directly after reading my first Dramione fic: Manacled by Senlinyu. This was a mistake, since tonally both stories may seem very much so the same, but they are fundamentally different. While Manacled is a darkly romantic tragedy, The Auction is an angst filled, action packed, gothic romance. So I dnf'd The Auction almost immediately upon reading it since it did not have the same level of dark romance that Manacled had. Now that I have read many more Dramione and other fics I can appreciate the dark, angsty love story that Draco and Hermione have in The Auction.

However, I did have a few issues with the Auction still. Mainly how the author treated the subject matter of war and the trauma of side-characters in this story. I feel like where Manacled was a no holds barred "War is Hell" and goes into describing the hellish landscape of war, The Auction kind of glazes over it. I think Lovesbitca did this because not everyone can be in the right state of mind to write about war crimes and the horrors of war, but it just didn't provide that same sense of depth or reality to the story without it.

One of my other issues with this fic was that it never really discussed on how/when Hermione and Draco fell in love with each other at Hogwarts. I mean Draco was pretty horrible to Hermione for a looonnnnggg time, you just don't go from throwing racial slurs at someone to "I've loved you since 4th Year", like bro how?! Hermione too, it's like girl, you are the brightest witch of your age and you fall for a biggotted racist?! I want to know why! It can't be just "He has pretty hair and looks in fit in his Quidditch uniform"?! This probably was more so fleshed out in the first two books, which this book btw is an Alternate Universe of.

Just a heads up the first two books "The Right Thing To Do" and "All The Wrong Things" take place in a seperate universe than "The Auction". I have no idea why it's suggested to read those two first, maybe they provide the context for why Hermione and Draco fall in love at Hogwarts? However, since this book takes place in an AU the author really should have provided the context in this fic, it would have added to the story.

My last main issue was that the ending of this fic wrapped up too cleanly. It gave me mad "Unsphere the Stars" vibes, if you know, you know (Hermione Sacred Ruler of New Avalon and her "good" boy Tom). I mean I partially get why Hermione has to go all into total savior mode for literally everyone and their cat, since that's her personality, but it got to be a bit much towards the end.

One other thing that drove me nuts was what happened with Lucius at the end, and what he does for Hermione. There's no explanation to why he did what he did for her, like none at all. If someone can explain to me why his character pulled a total 180 at the end I would love to know.

I think the author perfectly described her writing style for this fic as Bronte meets Victor Hugo. This fic has themes of Jane Eyre and Les Miserables scattered throughout. I'm hoping in the future this author writes more dark, angsty gothic fiction, she's pretty good at setting the mood/atmosphere.

Overall, the first 15% was kind of bland with the rest of the book being really well written (besides the few gripes I listed above). I don't know why people think the last 20% drags, that's where the fic actually remembers it has a plot that it set in the beginning of the fic. The middle drags a bit where they rotate in and out of Edinburgh, but I think that was mainly to build the angst/romance.

I would have structured this fic differently imo, I would have made it more so an enemies to lovers rather than "I kinda liked you before" to lovers. It would have added to the angst and drama of the story.

If you have gotten this far in my rambling review, bless you lol, and here are some other great Dramione, Voldemort Wins AU and/or war time fics to check out:

1. Manaceld by Senlinyu (Voldemort Wins AU - finished) 5 star fic
2. From Wiltshire, With Love by MistressLynn (war time -finished) 3.5 star fic
3. On the Nature of Daylight/This Bitter Earth by ikorous (war time -OtNoD finished, but TBE wip) 4.5 star fic
4.Crimson Seeds by Lia_Redrose (Voldemort Wins AU - wip) 4 star fic

[Ashley Catelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

11/10/25:
I truly loved Rose in Chains, it was one of my favourite books this year, and I'm lowkey a bit obsessed with it, so I decided to give this another shot.

I'm conflicted. There was a scene in the first quarter of the book that I truly hated and wish it had not been written, but once I got past it I started to enjoy the story again (it did take some time to come to terms with it though and I actually decided to dnf again after reading it, but changed my mind and gave it one more chance the next day).

This book was too long and unpolished. Although I cared for the characters, it dragged sometimes. Other times it was brilliant and breathtaking and heartbreaking and I had to stop reading just to cry. It had the bones to be incredible, but wasn't quite there yet. I look forward to seeing how the Evermore trilogy will develop and polish this story, as I suspect it will be an unforgettable series that I will keep tucked away in my heart.

13/5/24:
DNF at 14%

This is just Manacled if it was bad.