Classic rec: All Life is Yours to Miss (H/D, 115k, R)

[birdsofshore]

This is one of my all-time favourite H/D fics ever. A conversation about the art on the hd_fan_fair banners (you can see the beautiful original here on isinuyasha's LJ) made me realise that some of my newer friends might not have read this glorious story, and I need to do all I can to rectify this terrible possibility!

Author: saras_girl
Title: All Life is Yours to Miss
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione [past Draco/OMC and past Draco/Pansy implied]
Summary: Professor Malfoy's world is contained, controlled, and as solitary as he can make it, but when an act of petty revenge goes horribly awry, he and his trusty six-legged friend are thrown into Hogwarts life at the deep end and must learn to live, love and let go.
Rating: R
Word Count: 115,000
Warning(s): Nothing serious. Flangst, original characters, lots and lots of talking.

I just reread All Life is Yours to Miss this week and it hasn't lost a bit of its genius. It took me right back to Hogwarts as if I was discovering it for the first time. It's deliciously Draco-centric, but Harry is also present on every line just by the wonderful, warm, vivid way that saras_girl evokes his character. Draco breaks my heart a little in this fic, he has so little self-worth and finds it so hard to open up and let any intimacy or joy into his life. But Harry mends it a thousand times over. He's so stubborn and determined and alive and loving and smart and honest and HARRY, even when an accident occurs and he is unable to move or communicate. It's the most wonderful thing to watch Draco slowly blossom and make connections within the castle, and then when Harry starts to recover, the relationship between them is funny and moving and frustrating and amazing and sizzles with UST.

The supporting characters are just brilliant. Madam Pomfrey, Hagrid and McGonagall are a delight, as are the pissed-off house-elves who start to serve up things like raw turnip sandwiches due to their unhappiness with Draco. And as usual with saras_girl's writing, there's a great cast of original characters too, including the unforgettable Stanley, the oversized mint beetle who is Draco's pet, and stole my heart completely in this story.

I know it's long, but it's super, super worth it. I can't recommend it enough.

There is another reason I wanted to rec this today, and this is because the fic has just tipped over 100,000 hits on AO3. WOW! \o/ I think this deserves much celebration, not just for this fic, but for our wonderful, vibrant fandom, that still has so many passionate readers. ♥  If you've already read All Life is Yours to Miss, I'd love you to comment and tell me what your favourite part was (I think mine might be the exchange You can't argue with the Sorting Hat!/ I can argue with anything.) And if you've yet to read it, you have a massive treat in store, I promise.

Comments

[omi-ohmy.livejournal.com]

Your embroidery! That was Stanley, wasn't it?

I think it was Stanley being walked (on a leash?) that was my favourite. And the sound of him clacking along. That and all the quiet moments between Harry and Draco - such a lovely, slow burn between the two of them. Oh, this does inspire me to reread this (and then everything else SG has ever written because, well, it's so awesome).

[birdsofshore]

Yes! I've embroidered Stanley, and the frost snails, too <3

Stanley's in his harness in the lovely isi art that's on the fan_fair banners - I agree it's so gorgeous. His bootees!

I love the way Harry and Draco manage to communicate even though Harry is mute for much of the fic. And how we learn that Harry remembered EVERYTHING Draco said.

[capitu]

Oh, so hard to pick a favourite part, because this fic is a favourite part completely. But boy, remember Stanley's tiny boots? :D

Also, another moment I adore is when Poppy is cleaning Harry and Draco makes Ron and Hermione leave? He was so protective.

The one you quote is gorgeous, too.

This fic is such a journey. Thank you for reminding me. And wow, really? Over 100,000 hits? That's outstanding! :)

[birdsofshore]

this fic is a favourite part completely Awwww yes!

You WOULD remember the boots, madam. ;)

Yes, I love that scene in the hospital. And 100,000 hits, I promise, I watched it go over from this morning when it was about 999,964 or something and when I clicked back it was well over 100,000. Amazing. ♥

[capitu]

You WOULD remember the boots, madam. ;)

LOL Oh my god! I wasn't going there! But they were so cute, come on! :)) Of course I remembered the boots. Stanley look very fancy! Bless isinuyasha for creating that art. <3

[birdsofshore]

Hey, and don't forget, *I* made Stanley art with boots, too.

*snicker*

[capitu]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That still wins at life. ♥

[oceaxe.livejournal.com]

I have read Reparations and Turn a number of times, but I haven't read this one! It sounds lovely and I will do so tout suite!

I love that you're stoked for one of your favorite stories turning over the odometer! It's so fandom and so supportive and so sweet, it's killing me.

[birdsofshore]

Turn is a mad favourite of mine, in fact that's the fic that completely hooked me on H/D, I was gone from that moment, but this fic is something special too. It's... it's MAGICAL, truly. I really think you'll adore it.

I was wildly excited to see the hit count! Sheer co-incidence that I revisited it just as this was about to happen, but, yes, certainly it makes me very happy! It's like a victory for our fandom, that it will prevail!

[gracerene]

Ooo, yes, I remember quite enjoying this one when I read it. It didn't make as much of an impact on me as some of her other fics, like Reparations/Foundations and Salt on the Western Wind, but I definitely really loved it! :D

[birdsofshore]

It's funny which fics turn out to be favourites. I really like Reparations/Foundations, but I didn't click with them 100% in the way that I did many of her others, and I think it's because I read them a while after they were posted. There's something about feeling the fandom connection at the time when an author has written something, and your flist are all enjoying the same fic... does that make sense?

Basically everything she ever writes is a gift, though. We're so lucky.

[firethesound]

The tacking! Tack tack tack. :D :D :D

I read this when it first posted, more than overdue for a reread by now, I think. <3

[birdsofshore]

I don't know why, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed rereading. It felt so fresh and immersive all over again. Genius. <3

[vaysh]

Seconding like a 1000 times OMG YES THIS FIC. :) There is also an awesome podfic of it. ♥

[birdsofshore]

♥

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

I had never read this before, and my muse seems to have taken the day off, so I spent a pleasant afternoon with this fic.
It was lovely!
I think my favorite but was Stanley, but the OCs were great, too. And Harry. *g* He was a delight.
So thanks for that! <3

[birdsofshore]

I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Harry is such a gem in this fic - he's so gorgeously Harry. I love the horrified way in which Draco falls for him against his will.

[kerrilee75.livejournal.com]

Oh, I just love SG! I can't even choose a favorite story but from this one I just love Stanley's booties and Draco just sort of coming into his own while Harry is in the hospital wing. It's just a beautiful story all around. I just adore all the animal friends in her stories.

[birdsofshore]

Yes, Draco finding himself in this fic is such a joy to watch. And everything about Stanley!

[geneva2010.livejournal.com]

Thanks for highlighting this lovely fic and author. Isn't AOL amazing? I get kudos practically every week on my few little eensy stories. The exposure for fanfiction that AOL has made possible is a miracle. So happy that All Life is Yours to Miss has earned so much attention!!

I can't remember much about the story - must be time to read it again. Wasn't there something to do with snow...

[birdsofshore]

It's definitely time for a reread! It had been ages since I read it.

I enjoy getting notifications from AO3, too. Just a nice little fandom boost in the middle of the day.

[lijahlover.livejournal.com]

I adored this fic SO much :)

I can't say a favorite exactly but any scene with Stanley. I loved his walks and his little boots :)))))))))

[birdsofshore]

Yes, Stanley really steals the show here! Which is amazing when Harry and Draco are also so great in it.

[lijahlover.livejournal.com]

Yes, they are both brilliantly writen as well. What a beautiful relationship.

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

OH GODS I READ THIS REALLY REALLY RECENTLY! I have been going through all of gracerene's long recs, and though I don't agree with all of them, this one? TOTALLY. And like everyone else, I just fell in love with Stanley. Because there is no way in the world that I ever thought that I would find a beetle so damn adorable (or even vaguely adorable) and this one totally is.

So much love for this story, and I'm not a H/D shipper, though I'm being forced that way because I'm desperate for good recs of long fic and I'm reading fic like woah.

[birdsofshore]

Ah, glad you enjoyed it too! I remembered it as a fabulous fic, but it sort of took me aback HOW fabulous, you know? If you like long fic I would recommend everything by saras_girl, because she is amazing. But there are so many great writers writing long H/D.

[isinuyasha.livejournal.com]

Omg kudos for bringing that story up again, I'm totally in the mood to re-read it haha :D I like to recommend this story because it shows that fandom is SO not dead and that there's sometimes even better things created today than in the past (I mean...there's been millions of fics in the last decade, it's brilliant that people can still think of new stuff, you know? That's not easy :D)

Also thanks haha :D It totally made me remember how much I failed with the art :'D Because Stanley was always blue in my head (y'know, I didn't know what a mint beetle was in German but I knew what a willow pattern was, so I always thought about the color blue) but only when I posted it, did I notice he was supposed to be green xDD Oh man, totally forgot about that xD

[birdsofshore]

Ahhhhh you certainly did not fail! He looks so beautiful in your art. I saw other pieces of art with him blue, I think it makes perfect sense with the willow pattern. It's a gorgeous piece and I love seeing it all over the place on the pet fair banner. ♥

[what-katie-did.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, I loved this! :) I had a ten year fandom gap and have recently found my way back, so it's great to catch up on wonderful works like this one. I was off work today so have binge-read it, best day off in a while :) thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[birdsofshore]

Ah that's great! I'm really glad that you liked it. I'd thoroughly recommend all of the author's works. She's marvellous.

[what-katie-did.livejournal.com]

I have just finished 'Stop and Stare', looking forward to getting stuck in to the rest of her works, she is marvellous :)

[birdsofshore]

That's a super one. If you really want to lose your heart, try Turn or Reparations. WOW. UTTER WOW.

[saras-girl.livejournal.com]

Marie told me this was here and it made my day. You are, as always, wonderful, and I'm so happy that you still like this story so much ♥ I can't quite believe it has 100,000 hits - that's madness, but a brilliant kind. Also I was just thinking of giant playmobil Stanley the other day and he always makes me smile *huge hugs*

[birdsofshore]

Ahhhhhh I'm so glad! You deserve to smile ALL OF THE TIME. I'm having a massive binge reread of your fics and it is the nicest treat I have given myself for ages. I always remembered this one as being completely glorious, but it whooshed me down with its perfection all over again. ♥

And yay for brilliant madness!

[maccadole.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, I finished it yesterday and I can't tell you how grateful I am for your accidental rec. If you hadn't mentioned Stanley in your other post... Well, sheesh, then my only hope would've been if you'd posted about it separately anyway. I wouldn't have wanted to miss this fic. It was SO GOOD.

And Stanley, adorable and wonderful Stanley. I certainly understand why people created art and whatnot now. He is so precious. I never thought I'd find a giant beetle adorable, but here I am. He is so sweet, little Stanley. And the rest of the story? Wow.

I loved his little boots and how emotional Draco got when he received them. Ugh. I also loved the way Draco appreciated his chair and how he sat all curled up. I loved the backstory and the buildup and just... everything. The original characters were especially wonderful. Not to mention Draco's relationship with tea. That's literally me, I swear, I think tea can fix anything and it's my go-to thing when I am in need. In fact, I am going to make another cup now and then read more of the new fic I started before it's time to sleep.