The following article contains discussions of fanfics that depict topics such as violence, sexual violence, and suicide. Please ensure that fanfic-specific warnings on AO3 are noted before reading.
The Harry Potter fandom has identified several different non-canonical relationships that are considered beloved, but the Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) relationship is one of the most popular with plenty of Dramione fanfic. In J.K. Rowling’s book series, Hermione and Ron Weasley end up together after seven novels full of will-they-or-won’t-they moments. However, many have interpreted Draco’s constant bullying of the Muggle-born witch throughout the series as a cover for an unrequited crush. This interesting chemistry has helped fuel the variety of Dramione fanfics.
Few other fandoms inspired fanfiction quite like Harry Potter and its characters, and the celebrated website Archive of Our Own (AO3) has thousands of Harry Potter fanfics to choose from. While there are many non-canon pairings that readers enjoy, Dramione is definitively one of the most popular. What makes the best Dramione fic is close attention paid to both characters’ likeness to the original books, a healthy dose of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and arcs that see both characters changing for the better because of their interactions with one another.
20 Apple Pies and Other Amends
Author: ToEatAPeach
Apple Pies and Other Amends by ToEatAPeach is a Draco and Hermione fan fic that takes place post-Hogwarts. The characters here feature a powerful Hermione and a redeemed Draco. This particular AO3 story is rated mature, so there are some adult situations involved. Part of this has to do with the idea that it deals with PTSD, angst, and things of that nature. It also has appearances by their circle of friends, including Harry, Ron, Theo, Goyle, the Malfoy parents and more.
Hermoine is distressed and suffers from PTSD, and to deal, she is making great food.
The story, as the title suggests, does involve cooking. Hermione is distressed and suffers from PTSD, and to deal, she makes food to take to her friends (Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott, Luna and Xenophilius, Dean and Sheamus). However, she knows that she is sad and needs to find something to change that. That leads her to Draco, which could hurt her relationship with Ron in the process. Published in 2016, the story has over 464,000 hits and almost 16,000 kudos.
19 From Wiltshire, With Love
Author: MistressLynn
From Wiltshire, With Love by MistressLynn takes place after the events of The Half Blood Prince and during the events of The Deathly Hallows. In this AO3 fan fiction, Hermione goes to Draco and convinces him to spy for the Order of the Phoenix. When he agrees, she becomes his handler. However, the question in this story is what are Draco’s intentions and true motivations? Since he is still figuring out his place in the world, and learning who he is, he might not even know.
This is a fun story that shows Draco reaching adulthood during a massive war.
This is a fun story that shows Draco reaching adulthood during a massive war, and having to figure out his place in a time where even his own parents don’t know their place in the new and changing world. This is a huge story, checking in at 800 pages, and it ended up as a hugely popular bit of fan fiction, finishing 2022 as the winner for the Top Dramoine Fics on Reddit, while also placing 4th place for Wartime, and 2nd place for BAMF/Hermione. It also has over 933,000 hits and over 12,000 kudos.
18 On The Nature Of Daylight
Author: ikorous
On the Nature of Daylight by ikorous shows Hermione Granger at a point in her life where she wants to lose control, and Draco Malfoy is ready to take control. This is a romance between the two characters, but it is one that has Draco as a very possessive and jealous man, and someone who can at times be grating. However, that fits his personality well, so the author understood that part of the dynamic. This also takes place while they are in school (Draco is 16), so it is a little risqué as well.
However, it was another hugely popular AO3 story, with over 884,000 hits and over 10,000 kudos. It was so popular that after releasing this in 2022, the author worked on a sequel, titled This Bitter Earth in 2023. It was also popular outside of AO3, as it has an impressive positive score of 3.71 on Goodreads, with over 1,700 ratings and 256 reviews, also mostly positive of the story and the characters.
17 Love In A Time Of The Zombie Apocalypse
Author: rizzlewrites
Not all of the Hermione and Draco fanfics on AO3 are just romances with wizards. Sometimes, they offer something even bigger by crossing genres. That is what happened with Love In a Time of the Zombie Apocalypse by rizzlewrites. With the title making it obvious, this is a Hermione and Draco story that includes a zombie apocalypse on top of their magic and dangerous love story. Fans of Ron and Hermione should be warned that he doesn’t last long when the zombies show up.
However, this was an interesting take, as the action scenes were all pretty fun, and the idea that the Draco and Hermione relationship happened almost out of nowhere once Ron was out of the picture. This is also extremely long, checking in at 1,293 pages. However, readers loved it, as it has over 774,000 hits on AO3 and over 9,000 kudos. On Goodreads, fans gave it a 3.94 rating, with 385 reviews and over 2,800 ratings, showing how much it connected.
16 Happy Pills
Author: malfoy101
Released in 2020, Happy Pills by malfoy101 takes place a few years after the Second Wizarding War. This sees a group of Slytherins drafted into a rehabilitation program by the Ministry of Magic and Hermione Granger. Since their marks keep causing them physical and mental pain, the Ministry of Magic makes them undergo intense treatment to relearn the Wizarding World’s pure roles and help them deal with the trauma of their Dark Marks. They are worried, but they also want relief.
This leads one Slytherin member to finally let people know how much he loves and wants Hermione
This leads one Slytherin member to finally let people know how much he loves and wants Hermione, and that is, of course, Draco Malfoy. The AO3 fan fiction has over 541,000 hits and over 7,400 kudos since its release in 2020. It was also praised on Goodreads, with an impressive 3.86 approval rating with 508 ratings and 63 reviews. It checks in at 1,137 pages and does involve some trigger warnings, including self harm and suicide.
15 Amateur Cartography
Author: worksofstone
Most Draco and Hermione fanfictions on AO3 take place while the pair are students at Hogwarts. This isn’t always the case though, and there are also many that feature the pair as adults, which makes for both a refreshing take and one that doesn’t have to disrupt the established canon, as they can simply take place at a time when Ron and Hermione’s marriage falters. This is the case with Amateur Cartography, written by worksofstone in 2011.
Amateur Cartography takes place with an adult Draco and Hermione, with Hermione developing her career at the Ministry of Magic. What makes this particular fanfiction so interesting is that it echoes the views of many anti-Dramione Harry Potter fans. In the story, Hermione is having a casual physical relationship with Draco Malfoy, though she realizes that she shouldn’t be, and constantly questions why she finds him so hard to resist.
14 Scone Strategies
Author: mightbewriting
Scone Strategies by mightbewriting is one of the more lighthearted Dramione AO3 fanfics, and this is what makes it such a joy to read. Like most Harry Potter fanfiction, there are a lot of Malfoy and Hermione stories that are dark, serious, and manage to be almost as long as J.K. Rowling’s novels (and, in some cases, even longer). For Dramione fans who are seeking a more digestible read that doesn’t take itself too serious, Scone Strategies is perfect.
The premise is relatively straightforward, as it seimply features Hermione and Draco awkwardly flirting while Hermione makes scones.
The premise is relatively straightforward, as it simply features Hermione and Draco awkwardly flirting while Hermione makes scones. What makes Scone Strategies so hilarious at points is that, because of his interest in Hermione, he goes from being a slick and well put-together Slytherin wizard to being a bit of an awkward, dorky individual. It’s an incredibly fun take on the pairing, and shows that Dramione stories don’t necessarily have to be dark despite how antagonistic they are toward one-another in the canon.
13 Bells On A Hill
Author: HeyJude19
What makes Bells On A Hill by AO3 author HeyJude19 such a good piece of Dramione fanfiction is that it takes inspiration from a movie that’s completely unrelated to Harry Potter — 1998’s The Wedding Singer. This makes for a surprisingly solid romance story about Draco and Hermione that’s full of funny moments and has an incredibly tangible, believable plot. Set a few years after the Wizarding War, when Draco and Harry, Ron, and Hermione have managed to bury the hatchet and maintain a friendship, Draco’s engagement is cut short a month before the wedding.
To cope with his heartbreak, he decides to assist Hermione in planning her own wedding to Ron. However, during the process, he inadvertantly ends up falling in love with her, and by the end of the story it’s clear that the feelings are reciprocated. It’s a fun, light-hearted story that manages to pack in a few emotional moments too, and is definitely recommended for Dramione fans who care about the romance more than further exploration of the Wizarding World/
12 Isolation
Author: Bexchan
Isolation by bexchan is one of the most popular Dramione fanfics, clocking in at an impressive 1,007,820 hits. The story is set during the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, though it changes the original story. Rather, Harry and Ron go off Horcrux hunting and Hermione is left at Hogwarts to keep the other students safe during the Battle of Hogwarts. Snape also keeps Draco at Hogwarts, but under one condition — he has to stay locked inside Hermione’s room.
It’s fairly deep as far as Dramione fanfiction goes, and among those that will appeal to readers who want to develop an even thorougher understanding of both characters.
Told from the perspectives of both characters, author bexchan provides an intriguing look into Draco’s psychology in particular, as he experiences increasing isolation and finds the only one he can turn to is the dreaded “Granger.” It’s fairly deep as far as Dramione fanfiction goes, and among those that will appeal to readers who want to develop an even thorougher understanding of both characters.
11 Breath Mints / Battle Scars
Author: Onyx_and_Elm
The war brought on by Voldemort undoubtedly left lasting impacts on all who suffered through it, especially the central characters of Draco and Hermione. This theme is often explored in the best Dramione fanfiction, but Breath Mints / Battle Scars by Onyx_and_Elm shows just how strong and overwhelming that trauma is for both of them.
There are many things that make this Dramione story great, such as the pacing, the earnest depiction of grief and healing, and the usage of diary entries that flow effortlessly with the narrative. However, what really wins readers over is the emotions presented throughout, rendering readers to tears and warming hearts with its messages of hope that have earned it 1,344,758 hits.
10 The Right Thing To Do
Author: LovesBitca8
The first part of the Right and Wrong series, The Right Thing To Do by LovesBitca8 begins with a young Draco on trial after the war and a determined and empowered Hermione defending him fervently against all accusations. For Dramione shippers, the many chapters of the plot of the Right and Wrong are a deserving read, and one that’s long enough for them to really sink their teeth into.
From enemies to lovers to Draco’s guilt and angst, Hermione’s brilliance, and the extensively built world bent upon keeping them apart — this story is the epitome of all the tropes that make Dramione fics popular, and it exceeds all fan expectations through its execution of them. Plus, the happy ending alone proves the 1,306,036 hits right.
9 Remain Nameless
Author: HeyJude19
Part 1 of the Spectrum duology, Remain Nameless by HeyJude19 is an incredible Draco and Hermione fanfiction that grabs readers right from its premise and intro art, with 1,570,968 hits, proving Dramione to once again be one of the most popular Harry Potter ships.
What makes this Dramione fic on AO3 so great is that it also includes Harry and Ron, along with their partners, in the narrative, making it seem much more organic and canonical than fan written Harry Potter stories.Remain Nameless not also depicts a very broken side of Draco but also Hermione. They help one another heal in a beautiful and heartwrenching way that is sure to impress Dramione lovers.
8 All You Want
Author: Senlinyu
Renowned Hermione and Malfoy fanction writer senlinyu offers another one of the best Dramione stories by taking the pair and placing them in an Alpha/Beta/Omega-based world that will be familiar to many avid Harry Potter fanfic readers. Yet All You Want, of course, adds a more magical touch to the traditional trope elements
As a Dramione fanfic,
All You Want
stands out for its excellent integration of common Wizarding World concepts seamlessly interweaving with the added histories and well-developed new ideas.
As a Dramione fanfic, All You Want stands out for its excellent integration of common Wizarding World concepts seamlessly interweaving with the added histories and well-developed new ideas. Even with its many other characters, the development of Draco and Hermione as they grapple with a newly defined relationship is especially worthwhile, earning the fic 1,691,854 hits.
7 Let The Dark In
Author: Senlinyu
Whether based on Dramione or not, a lot of the best Harry Potter fanfiction on AO3 explores alternate universes that tweak details from J.K. Rowling’s canon to create a new take on the setting. Let The Dark In by senlinyu imagines the Harry Potter universe without a Voldemort — but this does not mean there aren’t other societal prejudices that make life difficult for some, like Muggle-born Hermione. She meets an even more reserved and bigoted Draco Malfoy as he attends the Triwizard Tournament in Hermione’s sixth year at Hogwarts.
Not only is the tale an exciting new premise, but it also emphasizes a lot of what makes Draco and Hermione’s shipping popular. The fic’s reimagining of canon and reworking of new situations with old characters make it an intriguing and enrapturing read, easily justifying its 1,720,127 hits.
6 Draco Malfoy And The Mortifying Ordeal Of Being In Love
Author: Isthisselfcare
Some of the best Draco and Hermione fanfiction takes place after the Second Wizarding War, and Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare ignores J.K. Rowling’s original epilogue — and with great success. The story sees Hermione as a medical researcher and Healer on the brink of a life-changing discovery. Draco, in the meantime, is an Auror who is tasked with her protection.
Neither is obviously happy with the situation, but isthisselfcare provides readers with an intriguing slow-burn scenario as their relationship progresses in an astonishingly realistic way. Changes made to canon are a surprising improvement, and the fic currently sits at 2,312,732 hits.
5 Don’t Look Back
Author: Onyx_and_Elm
Despite being an incredibly unlikable character to many, Draco Malfoy’s fanbase is immense, which is partly why there are so man Dramione fanfics. His appeal as the intelligent and ambitious yet tortured and conflicted Slytherin bad boy is amplified tenfold in Don’t Look Back with Onyx_and_Elm, which shakes up the character by adding the charming angst of also being a werewolf.
Fans of the Draco and Hermione ship will especially enjoy the slow-burn romance between the two with the addition of new magic that binds Dramione in a previously unseen way. The fic is especially great for die-hard Potterheads, as readers can relish in the elaborate world-expanding and magic-exploring, proving its worth with 1,713,993 hits.
4 Bring Him To His Knees
Author: Musyc
For fans of the fake-to-real lovers trope, Bring Him to His Knees by Musyc is the best Dramione fanfic. While investigating a suspect, Draco enlists Hermione to be his partner to get into an explicit club; what ensues is a lot of Dramione banter, sleuthing, and many new adventures, along with its 1,580,183 hits.
A lot of Dramione banter, sleuthing, and many new adventures
The fanfic exceeds expectations by capitalizing on other popular Harry Potter relationships, particularly a friendship between Harry and Draco (another favorite non-canon Harry Potter ship) that supports the main plot. Not to mention the sizzling chemistry between the two well-characterized protagonists, who keep their essence from the books but transcend into more fleshed-out and complex characters.
3 The Auction
Author: LovesBitca8
The third part of the Rights and Wrongs series, The Auction by LovesBitca8 is the most popular installment of the series. Currently sitting at 2,159,474 hits on AO3, fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope will especially enjoy this fic, thanks to all the slow-burn and emotion-charged raw moments between Draco and Hermione in a world of Voldemort’s tyranny.
This Dramione story stands out not just because of the plot, but because of how well the characters are written. The Auction gives Dramione a very genuine and fitting development, with their intimacy going beyond passionate moments into actually navigating hardships and their lives together. LovesBitca8’s passion for the series is epitomized in the third part, with many fans coming in for multiple re-reads.
2 Measure Of A Man
Author: Inadaze22
Set after the events of The Deathly Hallows, the Dramione fanfic Measure Of A Man by inadaze22 sees Hermione slowly falling for a now father-to-a-son Draco Malfoy. Draco is a changed man, and Hermione’s feelings for him develop as she learns to reconcile her past interactions and perceptions of who he was then with whom he has become now.
This Malfoy and Hermione fanfiction succeeds not only via its mature Dramione relationship and well-paced love story, but also through how it addresses the war’s aftermath and intertwines the stories of various secondary characters that add to the central narrative and provide worthy subplots. It’s clear why it has 2,332,110 hits.
1 Manacled
Author: Senlinyu
Like many Dramione fics, Manacled by senlinyu also takes place post-Battle of Hogwarts, but with a much different outcome than the canon Harry Potter universe. Instead, Harry is defeated and Hermione becomes a victim of terrible circumstances. Yet, she and Draco still find love together amidst all their pain, trauma, and healing.
Despite the fic’s much darker themes (readers are encouraged to heed the story’s content warnings), senlinyu creates a heartwarming and inspiring narrative. The pacing, character development, and dialogue all deserve praise, not to mention the inclusion of translations and illustrations that further justify its quality and popularity as the best Dramione fanfic with 6,690,099 current hits.
