The Politician's Wife is my fourth Dramione fan fiction, and I think I'm addicted.
Format: Fan Fiction/Apple Podcast
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Page Length: 239 pages
Publisher: Archive of Our Own (May 28, 2010)
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Darcy‘s Rating: “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
A Chasing Mr. Darcy Review
Here’s a plot synopsis in my own words: The Politician's Wife follows Hermione's and Draco's careers at the ministry of magic as well as their marriages. Hermione is in a mostly unhappy marriage with Ron Weasley, and Draco is in a mostly friendly (albeit unhappy) marriage with Pansy Parkinson. They are both in their forties in this story, and Draco enlists Hermione's help to oust a racist employee at the ministry. Both are in competition to be promoted, but both also have to take a hard look at what they really want out of life in this story.
I listened to The Politician's Wife on the Apple Podcast app, and I really liked it. It's a short listen, but it is a unique story about an older Hermione and Draco.
I thought the evolution of Hermione from super student to diligent employee was really well-written in this book. Somewhere along the way, though, Hermione forgot she was also a woman and began to discredit the feminine aspects of life. I partially blame Ron Weasley for this because hey, why not?? Along comes Draco, nursing secret feelings for Hermione, to pull her out of the shell she's fallen into. Initially, their relationship is purely a working relationship with Hermione constantly doubting Draco's intentions. Somewhere along the way, though, she begins to see Draco for the man he is and not the boy he was. She and Ron have also drifted apart, mostly driven by the fact that Hermione cannot have children in his story. Ron loves children, and the lack of a larger family for them is a constant unspoken tension between them. They are also so irrevocably tied to Harry and Ginny in this story that it leaves very little time for their own relationship. It was hard to read about Hermione being so lost in this story at times because she was always the anchored one in the original books. But, it was kind of fun at the same time to watch her find her way and rediscover herself.
I really liked this older version of Draco. This Draco is politically savvy, sharply dressed, sexy as hell, and is so clearly in love with Hermione I don't know how she missed it. He doesn't want to change her, but he does want her to own her power. He knows she's being undervalued at the ministry, and his efforts to make her see that only make her doubt his motives at times. He is 100% Hermione's equal in this story, and I love the way their minds bounce off of each other. Their chemistry is also perfect, and it's really well-done the way Draco's inhibitions are lowered around Hermione. It's like she's the only person he can relax around, and he constantly puts her nose out of joint. It's a classic enemies to lovers story in many respects, and I'm here for it all.
Much like I expected, I really hated Ron Weasley in this story. Hermione and Draco may have had all the illusions of an affair without any of the benefits (ie, sex), but Ron crosses the line with his affair and efforts to reign in Hermione. He's hateful, he's rude, and he's literally the worst version of himself in this story. Sometimes I wonder how even Harry can stand him in this story because Ron is literally insufferable. I did enjoy that Harry's family is tied to Draco's permanently in this version of events though, and I would love to read more about Draco's son and Harry's daughter.
Overall, this is a fun, quick read (or listen), and I enjoyed reading about these versions of the characters I love. Plus, this story only further solidifies my belief that Draco was under appreciated in the original series, and Hermione should have NEVER ended up with Ron Weasley.
Read this book is you're wanting to scratch your Harry Potter itch without supporting JK Rowling!
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