Optionless with Draco Malfoy

Authors Note

Thank you so much for reading Optionless with Draco Malfoy! It is my first story published on Wattpad. If you have any questions please do comment them!

In case you were wondering...

Why did you create the story?

To be honest, I watched the movies over and over and then re-read the books and I'm that type of person that needs closure to an end. I thought that there were some loose ends that needed to be tied up (not that J.K Rowling didn't do us justice), but I thought Draco Malfoy's character needed more. After seven years at Hogwarts and seven books, by the end of the series, we come to find that Draco Malfoy's character is more misunderstood. He's controlled by his father and everything that he does is based upon pressure. I wanted to show a different side of him, one which we didn't see as much in the books.

Originally, Draco married Astoria Greengrass and had a son, Scorpius. When I read this, dozens of questions popped into my mind, how did she and Draco meet? What was she like? How did he end up with her? To be honest, I was quite shocked that he didn't end up with Pansy Parkinson, actually.

Continuing, Astoria Greengrass (Daphne Greengrass' younger sister) was a character that the readers had never met. I came across the idea of creating my own character rather than using Astoria because I didn't know what kind of traits she portrayed (just in case there was a mentioning of her in the books and I missed it; I didn't want to mess it up). Also, I wanted to create my own character, who was different. I wanted to incorporate some of my own imagination and creativity by adding Juliette Trails into the story.

Juliette's character was much more complex than I intended it to be. I hadn't realized this until I sat by my computer and typed it up. I knew that I wanted her to also be a Slytherin so she could have a close relationship with Draco, but I planned for her to be friends with the Golden Trio as well. So, I tried to emphasize her friendship with Harry, Hermione, and Ron during the Early Years chapter and closer towards the end of the story. I mean, if you're in a fight with your best friend, you try not to let go of your several years of friendship, right?

There was always the Hogwarts House wars, specifically between Slytherin and Gryffindor. The rivalry occurs generation by generation, I mean the Marauder's years and then the Golden Trio. Juliette's character got the best of both sides. She was on the side of the Dark Lord, then fought among her classmates. Overall, I loved the challenge of creating her character.

What Hogwarts House were you placed in?

Pottermore sorted me to Hufflepuff, but other quizzes say I'm a Slytherin. Both I suppose?

Favourite Harry Potter book/movie?

Book: I love all of the books. Harry Potter is my favourite series of all time. But, if I had to choose, probably the Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire.

Movie: I love all the movies too. But, I'd have to say the Goblet of Fire or the Half Blood Prince is my favourite. One of my favourite scenes ever is when Harry drinks the Felix Felicis... but I loved how the Goblet of Fire was completely different because of the Triwizard Tournament and I like how the dynamic between the characters was more loose.  Also, I adore the cast in the movies! Seriously though, I am waiting for a reunion. :)

How long did it take to write this story?

I began writing it in January 2017, and finished writing in March/April. After, I spent a few weeks editing and sometimes, I'll randomly decide that I want to edit this story. Editing is not as fun as writing...

I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like sometimes, I would spend either ten minutes writing on Wattpad or hours. And when I say hours, I mean HOURS. It's fun to see how much you've written. I also feel that at the beginning of writing this story, it took me less time, especially since I only wrote around 700-800 words, but as the chapters progressed, I began writing 1500-2500 words per chapter.

Will you create any other stories?

YES! I've created...
1. A Tom Holland fan fiction which is completed, called Status: On-Screen.

2. An original fictional story which is incomplete, called Rough Waters. 

Favourite character from Optionless with Draco Malfoy?

Hmm... I feel like Juliette kind of relates to me in some ways, but other ways not. I mean, she brings out several qualities which I possess; the same love and appreciation for books and learning. I did not want her to be like other Slytherins who come off as self-centered and rude, but I intended her to have other Slytherin traits; resourcefulness and ambition.

Aunt Myra's character brings out my inner Hufflepuff, for sure. Even though she's a minor character, I feel like I was able to relate to her quite a bit as well.

And of course, Draco. He's such an interesting character to write about it. I thought it was fun writing his POVs. 

Favourite character from Harry Potter?

The entire Golden Trio. Possibly all of the characters... but, I do love Hermione Granger a ton. Of all literature, she is probably the most that I feel connected to on some sort of level. I admire Hermione's intelligence and it inspires me. She's empathetic, witty, and so much more. She's always willing to make a stand and is accepting of others. In the movies, I think Emma Watson portrayed her perfectly. I must admit, both Emma and Hermione are a part of many idols whom I look up to.

What have you learned from this experience?

I learned a lot of things. At the beginning, I realized how crappy my writing was and really noticed how many grammatical errors I made. Now that I've reached the end of the story, I noticed how much my writing has improved. I love it when people comment because, to me, it means that they understand my writing in some way.

Creating this story also taught me more about the way I write and edit. It gave me a chance to practice editing and improve my creativity. After reading my start of semester English work, I can't believe I wrote that terribly. This story has allowed me to better my writing meanwhile write something that I'm interested about.

From the actual story, I perceived that I now know so many more facts and things that exist in the Wizarding World. The amount of times I've had to visit Harry Potter Wikia is unreal.

Overall, this was an amazing experience writing a story, and I hope to have another one! If you're thinking of becoming a writer, I definitely would recommend it because you really get a sense of the type of writer you are and you have a deeper understanding of writing itself.

Personally, I used to always be the reader, and now I have 3 stories published on Wattpad. It's the feeling that you can create your own rules and practically your own world. It's a different experience being in the writer's shoes and I really, seriously, do enjoy it. That is probably the best part of this experience.

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Again, if you have any questions, please do comment! I would love to answer them! And thank you once more for reading my story, whether you read it ever since I began it or maybe found it months later. It really does mean a lot to me.

Something about this kind of writing always put me at peace, even the editing part. Before and after exams, it definitely feels almost soothing to write, haha.

Each time I see the number of reads that I get, it makes me smile so much, you have no clue! Even when I had reached ten reads, it felt like such a milestone, even though to others it may mean nothing. Truly, it makes my day to just appreciate that people have taken the time to read a chapter of my story.

Last time, I promise,

THANK YOU! <3

xxx