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Harry Potter and Queer as Folk
I'm reading Harry Potter Gives a Shit by Talithan and while I'm enjoying it, it's the second re-write of Queer as Folk I've read in which Harry is cast as Brian Kinney (this one has Draco as Justin, the other had Draco as Mikey). WTF? I don't mean that a pejorative - I just honestly don't understand it!
Does this make sense to anyone else? And does anyone know of any re-writes that cast Draco as Brian? Because that's a much more natural casting than Harry-as-Brian, to me. If I can't find it, I might have to write it myself!




IDK, I feel like there are some fusions that don't always make sense for certain characters/fandom, and to me, I don't personally feel like QaF is one that aligns well with H/D. I'm sure you can make it work, but it feels sort of forced. Of course, a good author can sell me on anything... :D
But yes, agree that I don't see Harry as Brian AT ALL. Like elfflame said above, I think he's cast in that role because author/prompter whoever wanted to write a QaF H/D fusion, and they wanted Harry to top, so he must be Brian, right? I see this a lot in fusions where Harry is often cast in a role I think is completely opposite of his actual characterization, specifically because it's the male role (or in this case, the more dominant male role) and Harry must top, which irks me beyond the fact that I do tend to have a preference for top!Draco (though really, I like switching best). Like, in a Cindarella AU, no way is Harry the prince in that fusion. I mean he's literally perfectly made to be Cindarella, and if you really want him to top, then have him top. Casting him in the role that is traditionally female shouldn't have any bearing on his sexual preference.
/rant
I have feelings on this.
I have feelings, too! No need to apologize for feelings! Regarding what you say about gender roles vs sexual preferences, I COMPLETELY AGREE! On a related note, I also want to see more stories about tops who get penetrated, and bottoms who like to penetrate. Being sexually dominant or submissive doesn't really have any bearing on what sexual position you prefer.
I do think that particularly in QAF, though, having a character play the Brian role and then not top in the traditional sense would really throw the dynamic off. But I see what you're saying. Focus on the characterization and not so much on who puts what where.
The story I was reading turned out to be pretty well written! By the end, I was at least partially buying Harry as Brian - not completely, not all the way, but enough to enjoy the story. And her Draco did fit Justin pretty well, by the end. I thought the author did a good job bringing the relationship dynamic to the fore and leaving a lot of the kitschy trappings of the show by the wayside. She fit it into HP in a meaningful way, I felt.
I agree, Brian as Draco would make a LOT more sense (and Harry as Mikey, as both pairs are the same age and thus there are no pedo vibes to deal with). Harry and Brian are really not that similar, at all. I hope that someone finds that and links it here, or if not, that you write it!!!!
I'm torn between Harry as Mikey and Harry as Justin! On the one hand - Harry and Draco went to school together, so that's good for Harry as Mikey. Also, Harry and Draco don't have the age disparity that Brian/Justin have. But I don't see Harry as so much of a whiner as Mikey - I see him as brave and proactive, like Justin!
I don't see Harry as a jerk the way Brian is, but I do see him as a top, not a bottom, so it falls naturally that way to me when it comes to Harry and Draco. I know a lot of people prefer it the opposite way, but I have trouble seeing Draco as a top. And Justin gets pretty bratty, so that fits with Draco, at least.
Ah, that must be it! I used to see Draco as more of a bottom, until I came across the Draco Tops Harry fest and I was converted. Now I see Draco as a top most of the time and I prefer to write him that way. My old stuff is all Draco as a bottom. I really feel that he's versatile, as is Harry, but I headcanon that Draco tops more often.
As far as casting in QAF, I think it could really go both ways. I see Harry as being quite bratty in the books, petulant and emotionally labile like Justin. I also think he better embodies the self-confidence and emotional bravery that Justin has. Justin has a capacity for love that reminds me of Harry and not so much of Draco (very much the opposite, actually). And obviously I see Draco as far more like the seductive asshole than Harry.
Also, the backstory lines up nicely for Draco-as-Brian - his daddy issues, his distant mother. And for the friends, I could see Blaise as Emmett, Theo as Theodore (!) and Pansy as Mikey (a stretch, I get it, but based on her longstanding crush).