Originally Written: August 2016
Rewritten: October 2023 – October 2024
Status: Complete
Word Count: 75k
Summary: Harry is going to be the new Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. He needed a change from the way his life had been going. Unfortunately, he finds out Draco Malfoy is also going to be starting as a Hogwarts professor. Their rivalry is, of course, not budging, but since they're teachers now, they're not allowed to fight (well, they tried, but going against Minerva McGonagall's wishes is never advised).
They both become fixated on proving they're the best teacher: who's most popular with the students, who has the best teaching methods, who gets the most compliments and gifts before breaks. Everything. As a result they are always lurking around each other's classes, eager to brag that they've got a one-up.
However, their students start to get a slightly different impression about their relationship than Harry and Draco have.
Content Warnings: Contains non-explicit sexual content
Notes: This was the first fic I wrote (besides a small Phan oneshot a month beforehand), and it was born from a Tumblr post and a week full of a flurry of writing. Unfortunately, while I do love the fic at heart, that really showed in all of the plot holes and just general bad writing. Yet, for some reason it is far and away my most popular fic. Now that we have reached over 1 Million views on the original, I have finally managed to finish the rewrite I have wanted to do for so long, and I'm so happy with how it's turned out, so I hope you love it too, whether you're new here or a returner. I put a lot of effort into preserving the original feel and all the iconic lines and moments, so I hope it shows!
Credits:
» Thank you so much to CoraWritesThings, violenttulips, and TheOnlyEnaiii for your help throughout — for allowing me to bounce ideas off of you, for helping me rephrase stubborn sections, and for help with French! Especially thank you to Cora for your help on Chapter 1 & 14, to MJ for your help on Chapter 5, and to Ari (& your husband!) for your help on Chapter 21. I love you all so much!
» Also, shout out to Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop, who is an excellent writer, and who I definitely stole the Chapter 1 title from because it was just too perfect. Go give it a read, if you haven't already!
» The Tumblr post this fic was originally inspired by is linked at the bottom of this chapter, under 'External Link' (desktop users only, unfortunately). It reads:
@remusmoonyblack-lupin Imagine Harry and Draco as teachers and competing against each other to be more popular and get more end of year gifts.
@dr-aco Omg and imagine at the end of the year their students get them one really big gift
And they're like what are you guys doing how are we supposed to split this
And their students are like ?????what????? Don't u guys go home together at the end of the year
And Harry and Draco are like what in the heck n o
And it turns out that the students have always thought that they had a thing for each other and were dating
Harry and Draco just flush r e d
» Photo featured on cover by Miiisha via DepositPhotos; 'Vintage Composition'. Art by Essie via PNGTree; 'Vector Hand Painted Flower Design' — link to original post in Chapter 1. Decoration from Canva Layouts [@canva-layouts] via Canva; 'Line'. All edits mine.
» Photos featured in Chapter 19 via textures4photoshop.com; 'Old Stained Paper Texture For Photoshop' & 'Blank Chalkboard Background With Border'. All edits mine.
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Friendly Competition
FanfictionHarry and Draco are both starting as Hogwarts professors at the same time. Their students quickly start to get a slightly different impression about their relationship than Harry and Draco have.
