#* ˖・ﾟ prose: minerva .

[lavndrlights]

open to all .

“ so here's a f u n question why is my boyfriend under the impression that you two are hanging out this weekend ? ”

[lavndrlights]

even though she's used to being spoiled thanks to her mother and father this feels entirely different. anticipation is buzzing throughout her frame, stomach fluttering as she reaches for the bag. “you didn't have to,” points out, even if she knows he's well aware of that. the tissue paper crinkles in a satisfying manner as she pulls it out. finds herself leaning over to peek inside before removing the contents. “i see something...” a smile curls onto her lips while revealing the first item to be one of her favorite candy bars, she truly feels like a kid on christmas again. “chocolate's always a good one.” hums out before emptying the rest of the contents. she enjoys the entirety of it but there's one thing that sticks out among the rest. it's a small frame one might even say miniscule that contains a photo of the pair. she looks up to him now, the smile on her face widening even more if at all possible. “harlow...it's too much. i i didn't even get you anything.”

@lavndrlights sent: ‘ i . . i thought we said no gifts this year. ’ from christmas starters ask prompts

“we did,” harlow admitted, his voice soft and uncertain. “but… i saw these, and they just made me think of you. i couldn’t not get them.” he pushed the gift bag towards them. “it’s not, like, a big thing or anything. just… little stuff. things i thought you’d like. and if it makes you feel any better, i didn’t spend a lot. it’s, uh, totally within the rules of… no-gifting gifts.”

[saintsenara]

more @hprecfest, and we're right in my particular niche today...

day thirteen: a fic [or five] for a rare pair

so bracing by @kellychambliss minerva mcgonagall/severus snape teen | 9.2k words

why i recommend it:

because i love to see older woman/younger man relationships in fandom - there's still far too few of them - and because i love to see fics from the perspective of minor characters. and this, which is as much a careful and generous character study of tom the barman [and the town of skegness] as it is of its central couple never fails to make me smile.

the english opening by lordrowantree fleur delacour/ron weasley teen | 55k words

why i recommend it:

because it answers the very important question - what would happen if fleur said yes when ron asked her to the yule ball? - by respecting his canonical rizz.

and, in doing so, it also respects all the rest of ron's great traits - his intelligence, his kindness, his big-picture thinking, his sense of daring - and uses them to offer an exploration of fleur's character which is considerably kinder and more nuanced than the one she receives in canon.

plus, it'll teach you something about chess, which is a bonus.

come slowly, eden by paimpont molly weasley/lord voldemort mature | 3k words

why i recommend it:

[yes, you've read the pairing right.]

because it does what all rare pair fics seek to do, and takes two characters whom it should be impossible to imagine any sort of love story between and manages it, through a brilliant character study of molly, and all her hopes and contradictions.

the strange heart beating where it lies by eldritcher madam rosmerta/severus snape mature | 1.5k words

why i recommend it:

given the author, i hardly need to mention how beautiful the prose is. i also adore the characterisation of rosmerta - a character used in the series mostly for ron to have something to ogle at - which reverses the gaze of canon to address what being a pub landlady harassed endlessly by hormonal teenagers actually feels like, and how that might lead you into the arms of someone similarly lost in a world which thinks of him as an object.

ghouls in the attic by speechwriter tom riddle/ron weasley general | 8.9k words

why i recommend it:

because - as the author correctly notes - i have seen your heart and it is mine is an outrageously romantic thing for the horcrux to say to ron.

[especially because it happens just before lord voldemort canonically suggests that hermione is mid...]

[hyacinthusmemorial]

Marsyas Verses Apollo

I was researching for my story Forgotten Age yesterday, and I specifically was looking into the story about Marsyas, the satyr who played the pipes and thought he was just as good as the god Apollo. I had a lot of feelings that I needed to unleash before I could go about my day--and I just want to preface that this is an analysis of Lucius Apuleius's Florida and not other sources regarding Marsyas.

Lucius Apuleius recounts that Marsyas played music in the days when "the art was but newly born and only just beginning to grow." He was playing the pipe in early times of civilization, before it was truly developed. He only knew how to play simple songs that were entertaining, but they were great compositions. Lucius Apuleius says aptly that nothing can be perfect in its conception, its new, it has basic elements that need to be developed. High musicians were bound by what they knew, and they knew about as much as shepherd and cowherds. But, Marsyas's father/instructor, Hyagnis, was already developing the art, and he learned how to separate the pipes into two, he learned how to play with two hands, one breath for two pipes.

Marsyas became famous for his pipe-playing Phrygia, which is to say for comparison he was a bango player from Tennessee, pretty skilled at his pipe, but ultimately, he knew how to play a simple tune with energy. The problem is not that Marsyas thought he was good, or even that he wanted to prove he was good. The problem was that he insulted Apollo when he challenged him.

The scene of their competition that Lucius Apuleius describes is so interesting--Marsyas in his boisterousness, Apollo in his cool silence. Marsyas is cocky, loud, speaking of his greatness in comparison to Apollo while Apollo is a god, he is quiet, observant, almost snake-like in his serenity as he watches his prey make his moves. Lucius Apuleius takes great care to illustrate the dichotomy between the two, even down to the physical level.

Marsyas is described as being with "a filthy beard" and "grim and shaggy face of a wild beast." In fact, Marsyas may have been a man, not a satyr, but he looks so much like a beast--they will call him half man and half goat. "His body was covered with hair and bristles." As Lucius Apuleius says, "Twas hideousness contending with beauty, a rude boor against a sage, a beast against a god."

Apollo is described by Marsyas himself:

In the first place...his hair is smoothed and plastered into tufts and curls that fall about his brow and hang before his face. His body is fair from head to foot, his limbs shine bright, his tongue gives oracles, and he is equally eloquent in prose or verse, propose which you will. What of his robes so fine in texture, so soft to the touch, aglow with purple? What of his lyre that flashes gold, gleams white with ivory, and shimmers with rainbow gems? What of his song, so cunning and so sweet? Nay, all these allurements suit with naught save luxury. To virtue they bring shame alone!

Marsyas denounces Apollo for being Apollo: beautiful, wise, calm. Marsyas despises his pretty clothes and his pretty lyre.

Marsyas then makes an exposé of himself to Apollo--he shows off his unkempt body and his unwashed state, and he says he is the model of perfection, not Apollo.

This imagery of a savage man trying to tell god what perfection is and how he might obtain it. The god needs no instruction. Apollo says nothing in this account, the Muses and Minerva (Athena) are amused and laugh at Marsyas--not because he possesses any humor but because it is so outrageous. His insults are comical in their depravity.

They have their contest, Apollo wins, and you can see his quiet rage in how he kills Marsyas. "When this boastful piper had been defeated in the contest and had been skinned as though he were a two-footed bear, they left him with his entrails torn and exposed to the air." They treated Marsyas like he was an animal because he acted like an animal. But, Apollo seems to regret this savage action--"Apollo he was ashamed of so inglorious a victory."

Apollo, it seems, regrets the whole situation because it drove him to the same depths that Marsyas sat in. It seems more of a story about Savagery verses Civilization than a story about Hubris in Lucius Apuleius's work. Yes, Hubris is a theme, but the dichotomy between Apollo and Marsyas cannot be ignored either. It is directly called out, and when Apollo sinks to the same depths as Marsyas, he is ashamed. It's not a glorious victory.

[limetameta]

I need tombraxas fics and your opinion on it

I'm about to go OFF under the cut so beware

If you're looking for HEALTHY tombraxas I can offer you the following:

TOM RIDDLE HATES SOCIAL MEDIA

Summary: They're in high school it's modern au, the most dramatic thing that happens is that they know Walburga Black in person, who's trying to be an influencer. This is the cutest tombraxas I've ever written and I love it so gosh dang much. They're just so soft with each other and they love each other like lovesick teenagers can. Tom is a lil repressed and scared because he's a foster kid and Abraxas is a nepo baby and that's bound to create problems, but Abraxas is just so SAFE for Tom.

TOM RIDDLE THE IT GUY

To this day I believe I've peaked with this writing and that I'll never write anything funnier. Take the Riddle era kids, age them up, and shove them in a no magic office au. I'm laughing as I'm writing this honestly every time I remember this fic I giggle.

NOW IF YOU WANT TOMBRAXAS AS KIND OF THE DRIVING FORCE FOR PLOT, BUT SEEN FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE MAY I OFFER YOU:

KNIGHTS AND (PRINCES)SES:

Voldemort Wins the 2ND WAR AU - Ginny falls in love with Luna, but parallel to them Tombraxas is out here being divorced toxic and learning to reconcile because Luna is Voldemort's favourite student and Ginny is Abraxas' favourite student. I like this fic a lot. MAINLY because I love writing Voldemort wins fics that make Voldemort depressed.

THE ARITHMANCY FIC

Trans Harry AU. Abraxas is SICK AND TIRED OF DIVINATION. HE'S GONNA GET VOLDEMORT AND HARRY POTTER TO FUCK OFF WITH THEIR PROPHECY BULLSHIT IF IT'S THE LAST THING HE DOES. Featuring Voldemort being very domestic with Abraxas.

NUMBERED DAYS

Every adult in Harry Potter's life has failed him as a mentor figure. Enter Abraxas Malfoy, who's like I BET I CAN SPEEDRUN my man Tom winning this war and not having him deal with Harry Potter - I'LL BECOME A PROFESSOR AT HOGWARTS! SECRET MARRIAGE TROPE, VOLDEMORT AND ABRAXAS DISS DUMBLEDORE FOR HAVING A GAY RELATIONSHIP LONGER THAN HIS ONE SUMMER ROMANCE ASS. Harry Potter is not harmed. Who knew that was an option???

SNAPSHOTS

This is a story of tombraxas as told through a series of moving photographs.

RUIN

The first time I ever wrote a fic with tombraxas in it (Abraxas doesn't appear, but Voldemort talks about how that peacock man can get it)

it's old 2016 writing tho so beware.

YOUNG SNAKES

Albus Dumbledore gets sorted into Slytherin and how this changes the course of his life. Tom/Abraxas are side characters but they're together and it's clearly stated in text.

TOM RIDDLE SR.

Tom Riddle Sr raises his son. His son is gay for the peacock man, but this story focuses more on the father son dynamic than on them.

SIBLINGS

Hermione time travels to the past and acts as Tom's sister. Tom is flustered by Abraxas lots in this fic and they are together.

NOW ONTO MY MORE EXPERIMENTAL WORKS THE ONE WHO BRINGS COLOUR

Voldemort dies as per canon but he winds up in a hellish world devoid of colour and his senses. As he travels farther and farther out and gains more of his senses, it isn't until he finds Abraxas that colour returns to his life. I like this fic a lot.

THE CHANGELING

Tom Marvolo Riddle (the human) is switched at birth with a fairy changeling. The Fairy AS TOM RIDDLE grows up in muggle london and goes to Hogwarts and has a liaison with Abraxas and becomes Voldemort and all that. Meanwhile Tom Riddle (the human) grows up in the Fairy world and fucks shit up for the Unseelie Queen. I like the prose in this one a lot.

AWARENESS

Voldemort and Abraxas in this fic are not endgame but they are together. Endgame for Voldemort is finally being happy and healthy. For Abraxas it's Minerva. The two of them are still very much clearly codependant on each other and very open, and they do fuck.

AND NOW!!! FOR THE CREME DE LA CREME, FOR THE OP OF ALL MY TOMBRAXAS FICS, THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE, THE MAGNUP OPUS OF MY AO3

RETIRED PROMETHEUS

FUN FACT: The very first fic Abraxas ever appears in my writing, the one that set the precedent for all the other Abraxas in my works FIRST APPEARED IN Retired Prometheus - the LONGEST TOMBRAXAS FIC WRITTEN ON FFNET AND AO3 to date. This fic has truly taught me so much about writing. These two in this fic are so deeply convoluted and yet in love with each other in a very toxis way. I adore them. I adore the messiness, the codependence, the nobody will ever love you as I love you, my love for you is monstrous, but that's fine, I'll love you with all of my monstrous being. Everything that you see in the fics listed above this one CAME as a direct influence Retired Prometheus had on me. This is the OG. This is the abyss that stared at me and had me churning out Tombraxas fics for YEARS. This is the, even though I'm a terrible human being, I deserve to be loved, too, and nobody can do it better than you, you, Hercules, who've come to rescue me from myself, from my punishment from the Gods.

[lavndrlights]

there's a couple of dark bruises blooming across her mirror , indentions of digits along her arms & she's positive that they had bruised a rib or two . it had hurt like hell of course but it was nothing compared to the pain being inflicted now . “ s stop , ” head begins to shake as tears burn in her eyes . instinctually moves toward him , wincing at the pain that radiates through her midsection . “ nick , ” name rings out in a way she's never said it [ it's so soft that it scares her . ] “ i know what happened was scary but that doesn't mean this has to end . ” tries to remain strong but her voice is wavering by the end of it . hand reaches out to touch him before it's too late . before he disappears [ doesn't know if she'd ever see him again after that . ] “ we can work through this together . ” doesn't know if she's trying to convince him or herself .

@lavndrlights wanted a break up starter for Minerva

There was a reason why Nick tried to keep people he dated a secret because he was worried something like this would happen. It was always bound to, wasn’t it? He won’t look at her, can’t bare to see the damage that she suffered because of him. “This isn’t going to work.” He said finally, his head lifting to look at her, he deserved to see what he did by being around her, the reason for what he was about to do. “We’re done. It was fun while it lasted but —“ He stopped, he’d wanted to tell her he found someone new, better, but that would be a lie and he’d hurt her enough. “I can’t risk you getting hurt again.” He finally said after some hesitation, deciding to go with the truth.

[antikate]

I genuinely think romance is a deeply underrated genre that is sneered upon because of its associations with femininity; I think it’s utopian and hopeful and worthwhile and I crave good romance stories. At the same time I hate most romance novels that I try to read.

I had Covid this week and for a few days was too sick to even look at a book or screen so I downloaded a bunch of audiobooks from the library and I gave up on every single one of them:

1. Notorious by Minerva Spencer. I noped out of this a few pages in when one character was described as delectable and luscious and another character’s eyes were described as orbs. The book also comes with a whole heaping of misogyny and Islamophobia apparently.

2. Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn. The first ??? 20 ??? Or so pages of this book consist of the heroine back in her home town and going into a deli to order a coffee and not having enough money to pay for it because she left her wallet in the car. 20 pages!!! It’s humiliating and is literally like being stuck in the head of the most neurotic person you’ve ever met. Page after page of this woman ruminating about what a loser she is. Exhausting! And I say this as someone who can ruminate at the Olympic level.

3. Pretty Pretty Boys by Gregory Ashe. This one is an m/m series about two cops who fall in love and I had hopes that it might be solid but the characterization was basically “whatever the author felt like writing”. Also the cops act like cops as in they’re abusive to random people and spend a lot of time being horrible, which I don’t really need in a romance.

4. Not Your Average Hot Guy, Gwenda Bond. Idk this was just. A bit? Boring? Also everyone was just a bit too self consciously sassy. The heroine runs an escape room but one of her props turns out to be actually a demonic book. I think one of my issues with this book and so many other romance novels is that banter is a real skill and most people can’t write it. But everyone, regretfully, tries.

5. Liar City, Allie Therin. There’s this one audiobook narrator who has such a snotty voice that I just cannot. This book might have been great but the instant I started listening I knew it was that dude. Maybe I’ll try it as an actual book.

6. The Blacksmith Queen by GA Aiken. This is one of the worst books I’ve ever tried to read. Truly. The heroine is a blacksmith and the hero is a centaur, which I thought sounded fun (also I was wondering how they’d have sex because I’m like that) but it was … puerile? Astonishingly stupid?

7.Capture the Crown, Jennifer Estep. This is also an absolutely idiotic book. The hero has amethyst eyes and the heroine has some other gem coloured eyes and someone else has sapphire eyes and if you took a shot every time it someone’s eye colour was described as a jewel tone you’d be hospitalised for alcohol poisoning by about page four.

8. A taste of gold and iron, Alex Rowland. This is decently written - as in the prose is solid - but the plot is half baked, the characters are tedious, and the world building is intriguing but paper thin. I’d say it’s a much better book than most here, but I still couldn’t bring myself to finish.

Not everything I’d read lately has been terrible so here’s some romance or romance adjacent books I have actually enjoyed:

1. The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang: This book is not going to change your life but it does what sets out to do with a slight if entertaining love story.

2. The Secret Lives of County Gentlemen, KJ Charles: I think Charles is one of the best and smartest historical romance writers I’ve ever read. Her books are everything I want out of romance: the characters are interesting, idiosyncratic, and sympathetic; the details feel right; the stories work; and the sex scenes are both hot and do important plot and character work. Her books are swoony and emotional and feel very real while still being romantic. (The audio narrator of this let it down a little because he took a lot of odd pauses but I’m being super nitpicky.)

3. A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft: This is a sweet YA novel set in an interesting fantasy world - I really enjoyed the prickly heroine and her dog.

4. In Memoriam, Alice Winn: This beautiful, heart-rending novel is not exactly a romance - it’s set during WW1 and has very explicit and realistic scenes set in the trenches. The trauma and suffering of the war are achingly portrayed. But it is a love story between two young soldiers, even if it’s not necessarily one with an easy or simple ending. Highly recommend with the caveat that Winn does not shy away from the brutality and senselessness of WW1.

5. Thornhedge, by T Kingfisher: This is a brief but resonant Sleeping Beauty retelling. Not exactly a romance but also not unromantic. My only complaint is that I wanted more. I’m a big T Kingfisher fan, and I adore her practical, earthy characters (like Toadling).

6. We Could Be So Good, Cat Sebastian: I’m here for everything Sebastian writes. Her books are low stakes but still compelling, her characters are likeable and complex, I actually enjoy her banter, and she has a knack for capturing historical details and moments. Her conflicts never feel fake and the resolutions are always earned.

[lumosatnight]

Untagged Fest 2023 favs!

Untagged Fest 2023 just ended, run by the HPFC Discord server! This was my second time participating and I had just as much fun as I did last year. It's always a new experience reading a fic when it's first published with absolutely zero tags. Here are a 10 of my favorites (listed by title)!

—

💜 hollow hearts by @girl-with-goats [Teddy/Victoire, T, 7.0k] — Fabulous world-building, wonderful imagery, packed full of colorful metaphors and heartfelt emotions.

Surviving in the post-apocalyptic, totalitarian world where emotions are banned from adults is not an easy feat. Victoire Weasley tries to navigate it and not lose herself in the process, all while falling in love with her best friend, Teddy Lupin.

💜 Just a Minerva in Time by @bluestringpudding [Hermione/Minerva, G, 6.4k] — Time travel, BAMF young Minerva, intrigue, romance! This fic has everything!

Hermione is going to need to remember how she got there, if she wants to go back.

💜 Master of None by @nanneramma [Cormac/Severus, G, 5.5k] — Hilarious and made me cry tears of joy. A masterpiece in comedy. Severus has finally met his match in himbo (and buff!) Cormac.

Severus tries new things, and meets someone unexpected.

💜 mephistopheles by @hang-the-deejay [Hermione/Harry, E, 6.4k] — Mind the tags!! Includes rape/non-con!! This is dirty, dark, and CRAZY GOOD. A dead dove fic that had me at the edge of my seat and yelling into the abyss (or in the Discord server).

when i'm at the pearly gates, this'll be on my videotape

💜 of all the gin joints by @northernroyal [Hermione/Dean, E, 2.2k] — HOT SMUT IN YOUR AREA!!! I am in love with this Dean. He is the new loml.

in all the towns in all the world, she walks into his.

💜 Oh, to be alone with you by @min1nova [Bellatrix/Luna, M, 3.3k] �� The prose is stunning. Bellaluna is such an underrated ship and the author made me fall in love with them. Such a fantastical fairy tale AU.

Her grey-scale painted lips, darker than the billowing curls and sharper than her teeth, never turn down. They are lighter than the oily drip down her temples, glittering in her hair. She is always smiling. It surely is a marvel, to behold the presence of the Mad Queen. 

💜 Through the Middlegame by @sandervansunshine [Astoria & Peter, T, 6.6k] — One of my absolute favorite portrayals of Peter I have ever read. The dialogue, the characters, the angst. I want to tattoo this fic directly onto my brain. Perhaps my new fav fic of the year!

Two prisoners, both a little broken, set out in pursuit of their survival.

💜 Unspeakable Acts by @ladyvoldywrites [Rufus/Dolores, M, 4.8k]— A wild pairing with a wild premise! The banter is perfect. This fic converted me to a Dolores lover and I didn't think that was possible.

The death of a child. A stolen Time-Turner. In an effort to solve this heinous act, an unlikely duo falsify a betrothal to gain entry into an underground crime ring.

💜 who lives in the castle? by @luxuriousmalfoy [Cho & Harry, M, 2.5k] — The ambience, the vibes!! I loved the mystery and the world-building. And of course, I love my girl Cho.

A century after the abrupt disappearance of magic, they seek out the place they hope to find it again—only to find themselves wondering if it was worth the cost. Cho and Harry have one question. Who lives in the castle?

💜 You're So Vane by @patriceavril [Angelina/Romilda, T, 6.8k] — The perfect romcom fic. Romilda is such a hoot, and her antics are so on brand. If this was turned into a movie, I'd be the first one at the theater.

Romilda is determined to seduce her nephew’s Quidditch instructor, even if she has to get a bit creative.

—

And my submission for the fest!

💜 Such a Sweetheart by @lumosatnight [Fleur/Bellatrix, T, 2.4k] — a horror coffeshop AU!

Her shift starts like any other.

Read more in the collection on AO3!!

[fivie]

"He thinks about Jehan, smiling and dancing around his living room with Minerva in his arms, even as his soul ached."

You said that you don't write impressive individual lines... But I think about Jehan, smiling and dancing around his living room with Minerva in his arms, even as his soul ached, dialy (Thank you for that one 💖)

Aww I'm glad that line stuck with you 😊

What I was very poorly trying to say was that, like, sometimes when you're reading something, you're very aware the entire time that you're reading really beautiful prose and it's like, part of the experience? Whereas some very nice feedback I've had about my writing is that people have got so engrossed while reading that it's almost like they're watching a movie rather than reading. I think my writing is very functional and almost disappears behind the story! Which is also very cool! But it's maybe not the sort of prose that yields the kind of raw lines that anyone would like, edit onto a gifset 😂

[consistentsquash]

your update speed, PI! respect! <3

Year of the Thestral, Chapters 11 & 12

Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape, NC-17 (but most of that takes place in earlier chapters)

I think I forgot to post an update, so here it is. We're in the post-battle part of the story now, with everyone adjusting to all the losses, coping with the revelations. Five chapters to go, which is hard to believe. I may finish before the end of September! 🥳

[squibstress]

HP Rec Fest - Day 25

Prompt: A fic rated T @hprecfest

A Little Crooked

Pairing: Irma/Minerva

Creator: tea_for_lupin

Rating: T/PG_13

Word Count: 838

Summary: Minerva’s hat is crooked; Irma/Poppy reaches to fix it and finds herself awfully close.

Why You Should Check It Out:

Written to a prompt from cranky_crocus, this fic is a brilliant little moment that's sweet, funny, sexy, and all-around perfect.

Earth Is the Right Place for Love

Pairings: Minerva McGonagall/Madam Rosmerta/Severus Snape

Creator: eldritcher

Rating: T/PG-13

Word Count: 16,000

Summary: Their canticles of now and once and after.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This poetic fic is erotic without being smutty, and gives the reader beautiful, determined, but damaged characters muddling along as best they can in the aftermath of the war.

Eldritcher weaves a spell that is much like the poetry they use to frame the fic: evocative and dreamlike, with a heightened reality that brings the characters into focus in a way that plain prose can't.

[lavndrlights]

open to all .

“ i i'm kind of out of my element here . . . ” | based & open to all .

[dhr-ao3]

A Pursuit of Knowledge

A Pursuit of Knowledge https://ift.tt/FBaSI0N by pianoparade When Harry accepted a position as one of the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructors at Hogwarts, he had expected long hours of lecturing and grading papers. He looked forward to the familiarity the halls that had once hosted his own education would bring him in the wake of leaving the DMLE. He did not, however, anticipate the mystery he would end up entangled in- somehow, these things seemed to follow him- nor the unexpected friendships he would make. ~~~ “A,” Malfoy declared. “For Atrocious.” Harry clapped a hand to his forehead. “Malfoy, A is for Acceptable.” Malfoy's head turned slowly from Harry to the parchment in his hands. His brow furrowed as he scanned the scratched lines of prose which were marred by several blotches of ink. He brought a finger to his chin as he reconsidered, his pale brow furrowing. Harry leaned over the table, trying to catch a glimpse of the paper. Certainly it couldn't be that bad. “Perhaps a B, then,” Malfoy said sagely. Harry, puzzled, stared back at the blond wizard. “For Brutish.” Harry scoffed. Malfoy knew the grading scale as well as Harry did. Atrocious, indeed. Words: 4060, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 1 of A Compendium of Magical Professions Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, Gen Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Teddy Lupin, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Original Hogwarts Professors Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Background Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom & Harry Potter Additional Tags: Professor Harry Potter, Professor Draco Malfoy, Ex-Auror Harry Potter, Quidditch Player Ginny Weasley, Professor Neville Longbottom, Ministry of Magic Employee Hermione Granger, Interim Professor Hermione Granger, Parallel Stories, Harry is observant, But about the wrong things, He's connected the dots (he's connected nothing), Hogwarts Teaching Structure, Hogwarts Teaching Departments, Multiple professors of the same subject, Harry and Ginny's relationship is strained, Persistent dark curses and jinxes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Long-Distance Relationship, Unexpected friendships, Alternate Universe - Professors, Some angst, not a lot, Other Additional Tags to Be Added via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/pcjxuQ1 July 02, 2024 at 05:57AM

[consistentsquash]

HP Fic Recs! Snapecase Sunday!

Check out Snapecase! The fest is still going on. Lots of Snape centric fics/art! I didn't get the time to read everything but I got some recs from my reading. Definitely check out the fest for yourself.

5 fav fics with 5 different vibes.

Candles Lit Against the Dark

Pairing - McGonagall/Grubbly Plank.

Length - 11000 words

Vibe - Feel good with a happy ending. BANTER!!!!

Author's summary - It's been a few months since Minerva's retirement, and she'd promised Wil a dinner out. Before she knows it, friends start turning up on her doorstep and then at the pub, not least among them a certain spy who came in from the cold.

Rec - READ THIS! The longest fic of the fest iirc. But also the best! My favorite fic of 2023 so far!! Don't miss this fic! I love literally everything about it. The prose, the really sharp banter, the characterizations, the dynamics of their relationships. A lot of times we get to see the postwar setting when stuff is really raw or when they sort of got over it. This fic has a really low stakes premise of a retirement party but the undercurrents of their history/war is super present. The writing has this really precise balance where it feels light but it is at the same time dealing with tons and tons of complicated PTSD and messy baggage. ALSO SNARRY! Technically background Snarry but not really. It's right in your face. McGonagall's face I mean! :D :D ALSO THE BANTER! Sorry but not sorry! This is an ALL CAPS SCREAMING fic. Some real Seinfeld moments with the sharp banter.

Vibe quote

Wil wasn't a smirker, but it was a near thing. "Not that our dear old Skunk isn't capable of riding a bucking broom into the nearest cloud all on his own, but I did put the wind up his bristles. The therapeutic effects of working with the herd get raised now and then when we're out on the hillside and Severus is in a receptive mood. Harry being one of our lad's personal Boggarts – not that that's ever been a secret – I thought it worth mentioning his recent distress. Divorce and all. Gave my opinion that somebody ought to nudge the lad into beneficial activity."

Rec note - the fic that made me late for work. No regrets.

Womb

Pairing - gen, Phineas POV

Length - 2900 words.

Vibe - Angst with a happy ending. GENDER!!!

Author's Summary - Phineas revisits the question of legacy.

Rec - a solid premise of Found Family with a twist like A Christmas Carol. Phineas thinks his legacy is over because Sirius is dead. But he starts to accept legacy isn't about blood and "adopts" Snape. I mean. Sort of. Technically he saves Snape. I mean. It's complicated! Read it read it read it!!!! OMG!!!! It's a beautiful and eerie fic with lots of unforgivable magic which you forgive anyway because the motive is love. Also lots of gender. Definitely be careful with this fic if you have some gender dysphoria. It has a lot of detach/remove and some really clever techniques to kind of abstract the harder stuff so it doesn't feel dysphoric but these things can be YMMV. Phineas POV! He is super hard to sympathize with because he's pretty much into the purity thing. But you can definitely see where he is coming from and why/how he changes. ALSO SNARRY PRESLASH??

Rec note - So this fic has some serious Giger vibes. Giger designed the chestburster Alien in the Alien franchise. A strange combo of gender imagery.

Vibe Quote

And out came bursting a stick-shaped, sour-shaped man, bawling as only a newborn could, naked as something sprung from the mother, with pigment smearing him in afterbirth.

Some Semblance of Family

Pairing - gen, Eileen POV

Length - 2200 words.

Vibe - Angst with Glass Onion vibes!

Author's Summary - Eileen returns to Prince House on familial business.

Rec - Hardcore Snape fam angst. Really brilliant/sharp Eileen characterization. Love the character study. Also really loved the world building in the fic! Shortfic but does a lot with the word count! It's going to break your heart.

Vibe quote

Eileen realised that her great uncle was right, that she was wrong, that she had allowed hope, as usual, to poison her, and with a bitter, eldritch shriek, she began unburdening herself of her own searing disappointment.

The Watched Pot

Genfic with Snape POV.

Length - 2100 words.

Vibe - Angst!

Author's Summary -In the aftermath, Severus has no plan other than a potion.

Rec - I don't want to spoil the fic because the suspense is a big part of this fic. It's a brilliant Snape POV fic with super sharp characterization of Eileen and her relationship with her son. Heartbreaking. But ofc it's Snape. That's his thing!

Vibe Quote

"It's an old wives' tale, you know," Eileen says. "What is?" "That a watched pot never boils. Eventually, with enough time and heat, everything boils."

It was Magic

Pairing - Tobias/Eileen

Length - 1100 words

Vibe - SCHEMING!

Author's Summary -Tobias and Eileen's wedding day is the result of a magical connection.

Rec - OMG! This fic! Tobias and Eileen are big little liars!! Lots of intrigue/mystery/complicated motives. But you also feel for them and also feel really scared for their future/Snape's future. Super sharp writing which keeps you guessing nonstop!

Vibe quote

It's a small wedding because neither Tobias nor Eileen have any family, at least, that's what they've told each other.

[perverse-idyll]

@hprecfest 2024 - Day 3: a fic not on AO3

So here I am, forging ahead with Day 3 on Day 13. A veritable reccing speed demon, that's me. But the sun has gone down, the rain is pouring from the eaves outside, and I have three fics to rec for your delectation: two Snarry and one Minerva ship.

Death Row by girl_tarte. Here we have a Snape who has fallen to the bottom of the DE pecking order and is assigned to watch over a captured Boy Who Lived. Tarte's prose is always a joy to read, and her Severus is droll, morally blasé, unimpressed by all parties (including himself) and capable of acts of courage and absurdity. To his own surprise, he abducts Harry from prison to protect him from both sides of the war, and a ridiculous and touching (also rather halting and inconvenient) tenderness makes an appearance while they're holed up together. Then Harry's kidnapped. Tarte's writing style is a treat, full of wit and unexpected fine details, and the concluding sex scene is one of my favorites in all its awkward romanticism and attunement to human foibles.

Laws of Magnetic Attraction by goseaward. This is a non-magic AU, set in the US after WWII, at a time when gay men and lesbians could be jailed or fired from their jobs if caught. Harry is an injured former pilot and Snape a disgraced former physics teacher who ended up working on the Manhattan Project. Goseaward's style suits the sharp, guarded edges of the characters; the tone is crisp and unsentimental, and most of the emotion is pushed down beneath the surface. Snape is a manipulative asshole (therefore very much IC) who essentially bullies Harry into starting a liaison, a fraught relationship that shatters when Harry discovers incriminating documents and betrays Snape's trust for what he believes are important reasons. This isn't a sweeping romance, and there's nothing soft about it, but it feels adult and true and in the end not hopeless. Something about the incisive, unerring prose and the portrait of their imperfect entanglement fascinates me, and I've come back to this story over and over again.

Ombra Mai Fu by tetleythesecond. Tetley took down most of her fics when she left fandom; fortunately, two of my favorites still exist as fest posts. This one chronicles the love story of Minerva McGonagall and Elphinstone Urquart, building a persuasive picture of Minerva's youth and Elphinstone's exploration of their gender identity. It's smart and warm and quietly beautiful, and Elphinstone is a very sympathetic and appealing OC (yes, they exist in canon, but mostly in name only). We know Elphinstone's fate, which occurs outside the bounds of this fic, and that knowledge lends an elegiac quality to the tale being told. I fell in love with it the moment I read it, but it's tucked away on LiveJournal and very few readers know about it.

[mediaevalmusereads]

A Week to Be Wicked. By Tessa Dare. Avon, 2012.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: historical romance

Part of Series? Yes, Spindle Cove #2

Summary: Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be . . . anywhere but Spindle Cove. These unlikely partners have one week to fake an elopement, to convince family and friends they're "in love," to outrun armed robbers, to survive their worst nightmares, to travel four hundred miles without killing each other... all while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night. What they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls.Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe . . . just maybe . . . everlasting love.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: graphic sexual content, violence, blood, unwanted sexual advances, references to death and trauma

Overview: I kept seeing this book on “best of historical romance” lists, and since I generally like Tessa Dare, I figured it was time to dive in. Overall, I was highly entertained by this book; while it didn’t have everything I was looking for plot-wise, the banter between the two protagonists and their clear character arcs kept me thoroughly engrossed. This book was also humorous in a way I found enjoyable rather than cringey, so for all those reasons, this book gets 4 stars from me.

Writing: Dare’s prose in this book is clear and quick, which makes the narrative progress at a fast pace without feeling rushed. I also think Dare balanced showing and telling very well, and she clearly has a knack for knowing when the plot should move on. This book also contains a lot of Dare’s trademark humor, and more so than other romances, this one made me smile multiple times.

Plot: The non-romance plot of this book follows Minerva Highwood, the bookish second daughter of her family, as she makes a deal with Colin Sandhurst, a viscount and notorious rake. Minerva has made a discovery that is sure to win her the grand prize at the upcoming Geologists’ conference in Edinburgh. Colin, by contrast, is stranded in Spindle Cove without access to his family funds until he either marries or reaches his next birthday. To dissuade Colin from marrying her older sister, Diana, Minerva makes him a deal: if Colin can get her to Edinburgh, she will win the geologists’ prize and give all the money to him - enough to keep him comfortable until his birthday. To keep people from suspecting he has abducted her, she will also leave “evidence” to convince her family that Minerva and Colin have eloped. Colin, eager to leave Spindle Cove, reluctantly agrees.

This book is roughly structured like a Regency road trip, which means that most of the events don’t so much build on one another as much as they happen in sequence. Usually, I don’t really enjoy these types of plots, but I think Dare made her characters so compelling that watching them interact was a joy. Part of what made it so enjoyable, I think, was that each major adventure on the road brought out a different aspect of their personalities; as a result, everything felt fairly fresh and it was clear that we were getting to know the characters more and more with each new “scene.”

The only things I didn’t really appreciate about the plot were the moments where unwanted sexual interest was a major component. While there wasn’t any rape or outright sexual assault, there were a few moments where Minerva was sexualized in a way that made her uncomfortable. Thankfully, they weren’t enough to make me put down the book altogether, but some readers may have different tolerances.

I also thought that the ending was a little too rushed, which is a shame because it’s so charged with emotion that I would have loved for Dare to slow down and explore her characters more. Without spoiling anything, I will say that Minerva has to decide what matters to her, and I felt like things were going well up until the end when it all seemed to rush to a close. I understand that this is a romance and perhaps length was an issue, but I would have loved to linger a little more in (and on) Edinburgh.

Characters: Minerva, our heroine, is fairly likeable in that she’s bookish, smart, and brave. I liked that she was a geologist and had hidden depths to her; for example, she doesn’t really like embroidery but because she is made to learn the skill, she embroiders things that interest her (like ammonites). She also sings incredibly well yet hates performing. These hidden depths made me feel like I was always learning more about her, and I was always interested to see how she’d react in any given situation. The only thing I didn’t like about her was her inexperience with sex, and that’s not because Dare did anything wrong; rather, it’s just a character trait that I don’t find appealing, and it’s entirely personal preference.

Colin, our hero, very much feels like a charismatic rake, which I appreciated. Too often, I feel like rakes aren’t written like rakes - they’re more like nice guys who have a lot of sex. Colin, by contrast, felt like a hedonist, and Dare did a good job of balancing that hedonism with pain and using charisma to cover up hidden trauma. I was almost worried that Colin wouldn’t end up reforming in a way that was convincing, but Dare ultimately made his arc feel like an evolution, which was enjoyable.

Supporting characters were fine, though I think they sometimes distracted from the narrative rather than enhanced it. Dare seemed to be laying the foundations for the next novel in the series, which was fine, but felt somewhat out of place.

Romance: Minerva and Colin’s romance was incredibly satisfying, in part because their banter was so enjoyable to read. I loved the way the two protagonists challenged each other and irritated one another without things turning toxic, and I loved that they had quirks that clearly showed they cared for the other (all without Dare spelling it out too much for the reader). I also really liked that their romance focused on making one another feel valued and worthy of love, so their individual growth mirrored their growth as a couple.

TL;DR: A Week to Be Wicked has a couple of narrative stumbles, but ultimately, the chemistry between the protagonists and the balance of humor and true character growth make this book a classic for romance readers.