Personally, I'm hoping for some sort of development of canon-Draco beyond the "I'm rich and evil therefore an arrogant shithead," because it's such a cliche. Harry found out his father wasn't the shining example of perfection in the last book, so maybe he'll find out that the bad guys aren't utterly predictable either. I find Snape a surprising character in that he's a good guy (officially) but he can't stand Harry. A nice bit of reality: the folks on your side may be jerks but they're still your allies.

I'm trying to think of a female version of the type, and I can't think of anyone except Lilah, who never went all that gray anyway. Huh.

Faith?

It's also easier to puppify Draco because so much of HP fiction, by necessity, takes place in the future, either after the Voldemort problem has reached a climax or after it's over, and those are the sorts of events that might change a person drastically.

I'm completely in love with A.J. Hall's canon on the whole thing anyway, and I'd bet her stories have influenced a good portion of Draco fanon.

Faith?

Ahh, of course. For some reason, I thought about the characters that started out bad and went to various shades of gray, but not the other way around. Well, except for Lex.

Is the question really that complicated? It's the Bad Boy phenomenon.

Draco is only a bad boy, though. He belongs with Angelus, not with Spike.

And even Angelus is evil in an interesting way. Draco really belongs with Glory. But I understand why fic writers group him with Spike and Lex -- antagonists being attracted to each other is a great relationship to play with, and the futurefic avenue does open up more possibilities.

Does Faith get puppified in fic much? I've seen her written as a victim, but not as misunderstood and simply in need of a good cuddle.

Well, I've read fic in which Faith was poor abused/misunderstood lass and Buffy was a grade A bitch for giving her a hard time, but perhaps you mean good fanfic.

Well, I've read fic in which Faith was poor abused/misunderstood lass and Buffy was a grade A bitch for giving her a hard time, but perhaps you mean good fanfic.

The worst of those are the B/F ones, where B turns into some weird drunken cross between Spike, S1 BtVS Cordelia, Harmony, and something your cat threw up on the carpet.

Not that I'd read them obsessively for some sick reason or anything.

I have a ridiculous affection for Draco/Neville, and as you might imagine, it's rare like a rare thing. Curses.

But going to be marginally more common, because you're going to write some. Right?

Of the three Dracos I've written, one is nearly!canon, one is the fanon one much inspired by A.J. Hall, and the other isn't very interesting. And the nearly!canon one scares me.

Also:

The epic crazy crossover I've been writing with Raven (lj/M*A*S*H fandom friend) is finally finished, betaed (thanks, Deena!) and posted at my site (also to be found at ff.n, FictionAlley, and soon in Raven's fic lj, autumnalis). It's Harry Potter/Discworld, and contains a small amount of mpreg and a lot of jokes, if any of you are interested in that sort of thing.

A Most Unlikely Family.