Fic Rec Fridays 2020 - part 16

Code Name L (32986 words) by GallaPlacidia
Chapters: 17/17
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Additional Tags: Down and Out Draco Malfoy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst, Secret Identities, Dubious Consent, but not between Draco and Harry, Harry is a bit of a dick, a whiff of domestic abuse but I think it steers clear, Department of Mysteries, Spies

Summary:

Trainees at the Department of Mysteries are kept under an identity-obscuring spell for two years. Harry doesn't even know who it is he's been falling in love with all this time. He's nervous about the Reveal, but really, what's the worst that could happen?

Feat. Damaged Draco Malfoy, damaged Harry Potter, damaged everybody. Also, spies & intrigue!

I was inspired to write this in part by the portrayal of The Department of Mysteries in Alpha_Exodus' 'You, a violent desire' so if you like that aspect of this fic, go check that one out! It's great.

This is a gift for Tepre. Will she like it? I don't know. Let's find out.

---

For RL reasons like work, I had to read this over the course of several days, and let me tell you, it was pure and utter torture. Because this author is the master of end-of-chapter cliffhangers. Not to mention that the beginning (and the middle bit and the ending) has left me quite emotionally compromised (for top-secret reasons… I'm not giving out spoilers!).

In short, this story is a glowing example of the HP fandom's - and more especially, the drarry subset of it - ability to attract the most skillful writers. It's not just a tale of espionage, or merely a love story, but both - and those two are equally complicated by (magically-induced) secret identities, false accusations and each participant's personal history feat. all the attached baggage.

The espionage part is brilliant, if at times ugly and back-stabbery, the romance bits are complicated and soft by turns (read: fluffy without cringing away from difficult issues), there's this one OC that turned unexpectedly lovable, and the prose is clear, concise and extremely readable. In short, this is an author to follow.

And in the end, love (and friendship, and ruthless pursuit of justice) conquers all. Recommended reading mode: all at once, with minimum suffering caused by the abovementioned cliffhangers.