perhaps-sunlight

[perhaps-sunlight]

Hello! I recently discovered your Tom/Harry fics and they are great, your writing is excellent. I particularly enjoyed "(never) let me go", it's my favourite, I could actually imagine all that happening after the 7 book (well, minus the epilogue but still). I have been wondering are there Tom/Harry stories written by other authors that you would recommend to read? Because I'm struggling to find stories about them that would be as believable and well written as yours. Thank you for your work!

Thank you so much for your kind words! The Tomarry fandom is extremely talented and I'm happy to recommend some of my favorites, focusing only on the completed ones as abandoned fics can be heartbreaking. You can also look to blogs like @aethon-recs for even more recommendations, particularly WIPs!

My absolute favorite Tomarry fic, and the one that converted me to the ship, is What Souls Are Made Of by Emeralds_and_Lilies. It's a classic Tomarry time travel, but the author's portrayal of Tom strikes a good balance between his darkness and his humanity, without feeling OOC.

If you like AUs, A Thousand Paths Among The Stars by haplesshippo is a Star Trek!AU that has likable characters (even side ones) who still feel consistent with their canon counterparts. I really like the narrative voice in Harry's limited 3rd person perspective. In a similar vein, His Gravity by You_Light_The_Sky is a sweet Growing Up Together!AU that does a great job with the characters and the evolution of their relationship.

Finally, you can try the Earning His Notice series by Lomonaaeren. While I don't generally agree with the author's characterizations, this series has many of her signature elements (powerful Harry, obsessed Tom, manipulative Dumbledore) without taking them to the extreme, and the ending felt satisfying.

I hope these recommendations are helpful. Happy reading :)

[perhaps-sunlight]

Thank you so much, this art captures the boys wonderfully and I'm always grateful that people take the time to translate my works!

I fell in love all over again

Thanks to @perhaps-sunlight for letting me touch this masterpiece ♡

(Never) let me go

[perhaps-sunlight]

Thank you so much for the lovely art, they fit the vibe of Paradox!Tomarry very well!

I saw a YCH base that reminds me of Tomarry dynamic in my fav fic by Ailora <3 Inventing Paradoxes - Chapter 1 - Ailora - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]

The pouting one especially reminds me of the epilogue's ending Deconstructing Paradoxes - Chapter 1 - Ailora - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]

Please do check their lovely works. I go back to reading Tomarry after 10 years because of their ficts haha

[perhaps-sunlight]

Act II of Paved With the Best Intentions is finally done. It's been a difficult few months that wrecked havoc with my writing. I'm so grateful to my readers for their support and hope they'll be satisfied with the resolution.

“I will stop, if you tell me to stop,” Tom says. “But you have to mean it.” Stop, I mean it. The words never leave Harry’s mouth. He promised Tom that he would be honest. And the truth is, he’s craved having someone who loves him with abandon, someone who provides the comfort and security that he’s rarely afforded. Dumbledore always said that love was the key to defeating Voldemort. Who knows, perhaps love would be the key to Tom’s salvation. (Later, Harry would reflect that love wasn’t Tom’s salvation but rather their mutual destruction.)

[perhaps-sunlight]

TIMELESS, I AM OBSESSED WITH TIMELESS

Aww thank you, I'm so happy to hear! Here's an unedited snippet from the next chapter under the cut:

Tom collapsed beside Peverell, who smirked and rolled onto his back. Tom had wanted to demean the other man, but he might’ve been the one demeaned instead.

Still, the terms of the deal stood.

Tom danced fingertips across Peverell’s bare chest. “How did you know about Myrtle Warren and the Riddles?”

Peverell rumbled with laughter. “Was buggering me not enough? You still want to talk?”

Tom rested his hand over the man’s throat, an empty threat. “Tell me.”

Their eyes met. Peverell was unafraid. “You told me,” he replied.

“I did no such thing! You’re lying.”

“No, I have not. I will give you the same answer under any Truth Potion.”

Tom sat up. He didn’t understand. He hadn’t told anyone who had happened. “How?” he demanded.

“I answered one question truthfully.” Peverell blew a smoke ring that lazily drifted through the cave. “You will have to defeat me again to get another answer.”

[perhaps-sunlight]

Last Line Tag Game

Post the last line from your WIP fic

Thanks @moontearpensfic for the tag. I write nonlinearly so these are the last lines that I edited, which will likely look completely different in the final draft.

From the next chapter of Paved (gah please let it be done already), but extremely out of context:

“I’m paying for lunch,” Harry agrees. And strangely, talking through misgivings with Hermione has erased the last of his doubts. He’s doing this. He’s ready.

I think everyone has already been tagged, so I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's WIP in my feed!

[perhaps-sunlight]

I would love to know more about your paradoxes mini-sequel, if you're willing to share! ❤️

Of course! I have a few ideas for a mini-sequel, none of which are super developed:

The main one concerns Harry and Tom's adventures in the penguin-sanctuary-turned-Jurassic-Park, which will be action- and fluff-filled. Since I'm terrible at writing action, it hasn't progressed very far

Another one has to do with Harry meeting Tom's father and stepmother, whom Tom doesn't like at all, over Christmas holiday. It'll be a holiday-themed fluff piece where Harry helps everyone bond

At the end of Inventing Paradoxes, Tom made a declaration to Harry to take him dancing, traveling, etc. Obviously, Harry is going to hold him to them!

My writing brain isn't usually wired for fluff despite how fluffy the Paradoxes universe is, so it may be a while before I can get into the right headspace for them! Hope the bullet list suffices in the meantime.

(Can't wait for more of your WIPs!)

[perhaps-sunlight]

For the WIP game, I love Hufflepuff Harry so I'm super curious what your WBWL story is about!

Hello, thanks for your interest!

The story stems from the fact that, when I returned to the Harry Potter fandom during the pandemic, Wrong Boy Who Lived stories where Harry was abused by his family and went into politics were very popular. However, I wanted to write my own version where Harry was in reality loved and happy, but everyone else was still convinced that he was abused, unhappy, and about to lead some revolution.

As you can imagine, the story is very cracky. I'm afraid I don't have any snippets to share at the moment, since I haven't looked at the story in a while, but I hope to get back into it and maybe share a sneak peek down the line.

[perhaps-sunlight]

Thank you @moontearpensfic and @kippipies for tagging me on the WIP game. Embarrassingly, I've hardly made progress on my WIPs since I last answered this a year ago(!) so I have the same list.

I am working on the final chapter in Act II of Paved With the Best Intentions and aiming to get it up by end of the month, if Harry and Tom would just behave. Fingers crossed!

WIP Game

Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Thank you @moontearpensfic for tagging me. I actively write for three fandoms, but I'll focus on the Harry Potter WIPs since that's probably what the majority of my followers are interested in. And I might be using the term WIP generously because many of them are scattered snippets that will realistically never see light of day.

Already posted:

Paved With the Best Intentions: Tomarry, Harry raising deaged!Voldemort. (Speaking of which, the next chapter is in the final editing stages, so I really hope I can post it soon because it's already delayed.) -- snippet here

To be posted (fingers crossed):

Timeless: been sitting on this for over a year now, aiming to finally edit it into readability -- more info here, first chapter

Everything else (Tomarrymort unless otherwise noted; italics if there's a working title)

Hufflepuff WBWL Harry (gen)

Tom Sr (gen)

Paradoxes mini-sequel + spinoff

Game mini-sequel -- snippet

(never) companion piece -- answered here

Kometa continuation (currently posted as a one-shot)

Mean Girls AU -- answered here

Tech Bros AU -- answered here

Rain

so good

...and a ton of random paragraphs here and there that don't even get real filenames lol

I imagine most people have been tagged already! But if you're reading this, please feel free to consider yourself tagged and share your WIPs with everyone :)

[perhaps-sunlight]

Snippet from "Game On, Your Move" futurefic

I originally meant to post a short, fluffy sequel to Game On, Your Move as a thank you to my readers (its kudos count still blows my mind). However, I haven't been able to write much recently due to personal struggles, so here's a small snippet. Hopefully, I'll be able to share the full piece in 2025.

“So how were those video games?” George asked as Harry and Tom joined them at the dining table. Harry flushed, accurately surmising from everyone’s wide grin that their bedroom activities weren’t a secret. Even Hermione was visibly struggling to keep a straight face. Before he could do any damage control, Tom slid into a chair and practically dragged Harry onto his lap. “Oh, very fun,” he replied. “We enjoyed riding each other's motor.” As the table guffawed, Harry buried his face in his hands.

[perhaps-sunlight]

WIP (Not) Wednesday

I was tagged by @moontearpensfic a while back, but it's taken me a while to follow up because I've been (and still am) struggling with writer's block for Paved as the end of Act II approaches and the pressure mounts to tie everything up.

While I don't have anything substantial to share, some semblance of the following snippet will be in the next chapter.

I think everyone has already been tagged, but if you see the post and would like to share your WIP, please consider this an invitation :)

“You really don’t remember anything?” Tom asks.

“No, not much after the sunrise,” Harry replies, and Tom’s posture relaxes slightly. “What happened?”

“It’s as the Healers told you. A snake bit you.”

“How did a snake bite me on my shoulder?”

“It jumped off a tree. Everything happened so quickly that I can’t remember much else. I’m just glad that you’re okay.”

[perhaps-sunlight]

@solovejchik4 it does capture the Harry-raises-Tom trope rather well :)

shoujo filter on 💖🌸✨

insp:

[perhaps-sunlight]

Self-rec time! What are your favorite five fics that you've written and why? After replying to this ask, feel free pass on to five other writers to spread the love. 💗

Hi, thank you for the ask 💗 It's difficult to pick, not because I think all of my fics are amazing, but because writing takes a lot of effort so I only make time to write the ideas that I love. Right now, as a survival technique, my favorite fics are my three WIPs (one in each of my fandoms).

Focusing on my completed fics, in descending order:

5 -- In Your Image (Harry Potter, Tomarry):

It's rare for me to finish writing a fic and look back upon it with the feeling that I accomplished everything I intended from the outset. This is one of the exceptions. Aside from phrasing and word choices that can always be improved, I am satisfied with my Tomarry take on The Picture of Dorian Gray, and I'm especially proud of the climax and ending.

4 -- Inventing Paradoxes (Harry Potter, Tomarry)

This is a sentimental favorite. I came back to the Harry Potter fandom during the pandemic as a coping mechanism, so I wanted to write something lighthearted and happy (though one could argue I should've picked a different ship). With the Paradoxes series, I regained confidence in writing, a skill that had grown rusty, and I also got a lot of support from my readers, which made me feel like part of a community during a difficult period.

3 -- Perhaps Love (Digimon, Takari)

Another sentimental favorite: I first started planning / writing this fic when I was a teenager, upset with the non-canonical ending to my first ship. The heydays of the fandom have long past by the time I posted, but I was able to find readers who felt similarly disappointed and appreciated the ending that I provided. As with many of my stories, Perhaps was written around three pivotal scenes, and when I reread them years later, I can still appreciate the emotional impact that I was aiming for.

2 -- (never) let me go (Harry Potter, Tomarry)

I've always been and am still fascinated by the concept of death. As a teenager, I wanted to write a story where Harry struggles with the concept of immortality as the Master of Death because it means leaving his loved ones behind, but I didn't have the life experience to pull the story together. After discovering Tomarry, I reframed my original idea into a story about the acceptance of death: both from Harry, who doesn't want to lose someone he loves, and from Tom, who's afraid of moving on.

It's sort of a strange story, and I still find things I'd like to improve when I reread it. However, I was happy that it found readers who enjoyed its strangeness and super flattered that it was bound into a little book!

1 -- Once Upon a Fairy Tale (Digimon, Takari)

Like In Your Image, this is one of the few stories where I feel that I satisfactorily translated my complete vision to paper (and more). I enjoyed exploring how two characters can fall in love and yet still not be together, a theme that I revisit in other works, whether consciously or subconsciously. And when I reread the story, I can discern the hopes and dreams of a person who has yet to experience the ups and downs of real life, which fills me with bittersweet nostalgia for the innocence I once had.

Thanks for reading my rambling!

I'll tag @moonytear, @isalisewrites, and @kippipies (but no pressure at all!).

[perhaps-sunlight]

Aww it's beautiful, love the differences -- obvious and subtle -- in the two portrayals! And the hat in the final picture is extremely intriguing and makes me wish someone would write a fic based on it.

‘The Portrait’

I should be working on finals but my brain insisted on starting another project. This'll probably end up as a part of a short comic.

Premise: Harry discovers a secret room and finds a giant portrait of a mysterious man.

[perhaps-sunlight]

If you're still doing the WIP game, I'd love to hear more about the Tech Bros AU! I've just caught up with "Paved with the Best Intentions", and I absolutely love the direction you're going in!! Cannot wait for teenage Tom, and the (potential) Romione wedding 🩷🩷

Thank you for your support! Both teenage Tom and Romione wedding are coming 🩷

And sure, I'm happy to share more about Tech Bros AU. This one is super silly and inspired by the rivalry often seen between tech companies that sell very similar products.

The premise is a Same Age AU where Harry and Tom both own Quidditch broomstick companies (think Nimbus vs. Cleansweep, but with more Harry/Tom-ish names). Even though Harry is the retired Quidditch player, Tom is the one scooping up all the partnerships with high-profile Quidditch teams. After a heated competition, he even lands Harry's old team, which is the deal that Harry was counting on to save his company.

Harry is forced to consider the possibility of acquisition, but Tom puts a different offer on the table: he will let Harry have this final deal, if he would sleep with Tom.

So as you can probably see, the setup isn't that original. It could go down a conventional fluffy romcom route, or it could go down a darker thriller-esque route. The latter would be much more fun, but would require far more planning, which is why I haven't had time to flesh it out further.

Hope this is a satisfying answer!

[perhaps-sunlight]

Seven Sentences Sunday

Thank you for the tag, @kippipies! This is a belated response because I wanted to share a snippet of this upcoming scene from Paved With the Best Intentions, but I needed to finish the chapter that set it up first.

(I think I have more than seven sentences, but um, it's seven lines-ish in Google Docs?)

The baking trap slips, and forgetting that he has yet to put on oven mitts, Harry grabs it. The pain sears through his right hand, and swearing, he drops the tray with a clang on the kitchen floor. “What happened?” Tom demands, rushing inside the kitchen. “Nothing, I’m fine,” Harry says, fumbling for his wand with his non-dominant hand. “Episkey. There.” Indeed, the skin is knitting together as the magic forces the blisters and the pain to retreat. He gives Tom a reassuring smile, but Tom is gazing at his hand intensely. Without warning, he seizes it, lifts it to his lips, and licks a long, slow trail over the palm.

I don't use Tumblr enough to know who hasn't been tagged yet. But if you're seeing this in your feed and have a snippet to share, please feel very welcome to do so :)

[perhaps-sunlight]

Omg I’d love to know more about timeless!!

Hello, thanks for asking! Timeless is a one-shot featuring Master of Death Harry traveling to 1940s to teenage. A pretty classic setup, except this Harry is darker than the kindhearted Harry in most of my fics, so the dynamics with Tom will be different, and not generally to Tom's liking (for one thing, he'll explicitly bottom more than he prefers).

I don't have any snippet to share as I haven't had time to edit it and everything is rough, but I'm hoping to post it soon!