Fic Rec: Nobody's Ever Died of a Broken Heart by frayach

[themostepotente]

Recs through the weekend! Kinkfest, HP, Supernatural, Merlin and Sherlock Holmes. My queue is full to bursting, I tell you. A lone rec tonight, but I really wanted to share this with you all.

Nobody’s Ever Died of a Broken Heart - Harry/Draco, Harry/OMC [R - warning for character death] by frayach.

Every month I have a good cry. It's cleansing. It's therapeutic. It's… Don't give me that look. Believe me, it helps. LOL So, for about twenty minutes I just let the floodgates open. Now, it could be that this fic coincided with my monthly bawl, but I was so in sync with Fray's pov, that I was weepy for a full sixty minutes. I don't want to isolate anyone and say that you won't be able to empathise unless you've lost someone close. Sooner or later (and let's all hope it's later), we all lose someone we cherish. But after I read this, I thought, 'Wow, here's someone who really understands what the last two years of my life have been like.' Fray really has a way with words, and she has no trouble at all making them jump off the page, eloquently so.

Admittedly, this is not an easy fic to read. And as much as I'd have you believe I'm tough as nails, I do have chinks in my armour. Before you've even clicked the link, there's character death with Harry having to cope in the unhealthiest ways possible. He's pill addicted, works a shitty office job and has just about closed himself off to everyone except an engaging OC poet named Martin. Who is, by the way, perfect for Harry. Not so much as a replacement for Draco, but as a living, breathing coping mechanism. Maybe not at first, but he more than meets my approval by fic's end. And let me just stress here, for those of us that don't like long and involved scenes with OC lovers, this never ever stops being a Harry/Draco fic.

Let me share one of my favourites lines about Martin.

What he can’t explain to Martin or to anyone else in this magicless world is that no object is inert, no boundary impermeable. Even a man like Martin who works with rhymes for a living could never imagine that words can literally kill.

Throughout, there are bittersweet glimpses and rememberances of Draco, brought upon by both Muggle and magical uppers and downers. And slowly you begin to understand why Harry must hit rock bottom in order to climb his way up and out. It's a heartbreaking journey, but I found the ending wholly satisfying. Sure, I love dark fic, but I also appreciate that much needed light at the end of the tunnel.

This all sounds very depressing, I'm sure. Hey, I did say it was a difficult read, didn't I? I always seem to stress how important realism is for me. Ask me, and I'll tell you I think this fic came from the heart, came from the very life experiences that shape and define us. I saw quite a bit of myself in this fic. All of the stages of grief and despair and anger that take hold until we're strong enough to break free and let go, and cruel as that may seem, time does heal all wounds.

Up until now, I would have said that 'The Price We Pay for Wings' was my favourite of Fray's fics, but now I want to say it's this. It was very much worth the wait. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Enjoy all!

--P

Comments

[akayalovesyaoi.livejournal.com]

Ok, shit at first it was alright, intimate, but there was no revelations, but then they got themselves to talk and now I'm bawling like a baby.

Damn you T____T

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

I wasn't really sure about the mostly non-magicalness of the fic at first, and I'm normally not keen on the heavy presence of OCs, but Fray really broke the mold with this fic. I've been grieving over my mother's death for two years, so this fic was like a sort of release for me. If that makes sense.

Glad you stuck with it, hon ♥

[phoenixacid.livejournal.com]

BRILLIANT STORY, YES? Only Fray can squish my heart to a bloody pulp and piece it back together again by the ending - and I love Martin! And his poems - the last one especially - wow.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

Absolutely, yes. Brilliant in every sense of the word! *G*

[secretsolitaire.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous fic. Thanks for the rec. *hugs*

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it, dear ♥

[frayach.livejournal.com]

Omg, honey. I just found this as I was flipping through a few people's journals. I wish I had seen it earlier, because this is one of the most kind and heartfelt reviews I've ever received. Thank you so so so much.

You say that only a writer who has been through this kind of grief can understand it; well, only a reader who's been through that kind of grief can really get it. I know you can, and that's why this review is so special. I know it's more personal than just a fandom rec, just as this story is much more than just a "fanfic." I'm so happy that it spoke to you. As I said as an intro on my LJ, this was the story that broke my writer's block. It's very special to me, and knowing there are readers like you who can really appreciate it means so much to me.

I'm particularly glad you liked the character of Martin. I was really nervous about trying to incorporate an OC because I don't usually like OCs myself, and I hate the idea of an OC taking Harry or Draco's place. I'm so glad you saw that I wasn't trying to do this here. It was a very conscious effort on my part. But it was very important to me to have Harry have someone there for him in the end when the pills ran out. Someone, like you say, who understands Harry's boundaries and respects them.

It's not often I receive a rec like this. I'm so sorry I didn't find it sooner - I haven't been reading other people's journals that much. But that's no excuse for missing this. I should have known someone of importance had recced me because I all of a sudden got a lot of comments :D Thank you so so much, and thank you most of all for understanding. It's the greatest compliment of all. *bigbighugs*

Also, I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier for your generous bid on help_haiti. I know you didn't "win" the bid, but it was so close, I'd like to write you something anyway. I don't know how you feel about Harry/Scorpius - it's a newly discovered pairing of mine :) But I was wondering how you'd feel about receiving an H/Sc fic? (Let me know if it squicks you). I owe you that and more for your support. It means the world to me, P. Thank you.

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥

Going to be sending you a long email tonight.

Thank you so much for my LJ roses, sweetie <3 <3 <3