#Snilch

[severussnapeconfessions]

What’s your favorite fanfic for severus?

I have far too many and my memory is rubbish with titles, plots and authors. I will open this question to all of you. Drop your reccomendations in the replies!

They don't have to be romantic!

[danpuff-ao3]

Rare Pair Tag Game

Rules: List the top rarepairs that you like outside of your OTP, and why you ship it! (Criteria for what makes a rarepair is up to your own discretion.).

Thanks for the tag @writcraft!!

Tagging: @perverse-idyll, @lizzy0305, @fleetingdesires, @cindle-writes, @serenaew, @tackytigerfic, @sweet-s0rr0w, @broomsticks, @lumosatnight, @indigo-scarf, @the-paper-monkey, @maesterchill, @snapesnailtape, @kellychambliss, @givereadersahug, @coconutice22, @likelightinglass, @crazybutgood, @sugareey-makes-stuff, @anaxandria-writes, @greenmegsnoham, @siriusly-sapphic, @thistlecatfics, @vdoshuand anyone else who wants to play! But no pressure to anyone I tagged, either! 💛

Now....onto the ships!

OTP is Snarry of course! And most of my rare pair loves, or other ships in general, feature DRACO my beloved!

Draco/Sirius: top tier for me because of that juicy, juicy age gap. And a hint of incest for extra flavor, but also isn't too close for comfort. There's the Harry connection (Sirius as the godfather and Draco as the rival), and the war connection (Sirius in the Order and Draco as a teenage Death Eater.) Lots of room for tension. But they're both also very bright and gifted. Sirius is rebellious enough to catch Draco's eye (very "bad boy" of him) and Draco is sassy enough and quick enough to keep Sirius entertained. Plus I see them both as being a bit vain and will both especially love how good they look together. 😉 Basically: lots to explore and lots of potential that I am DYING to play with, and to see played with more! (Really need to do a rec list for them soon....)

Draco/Remus: also really up there for me. Again: the age gap. But also! More to play with. There's again that Harry connection and the war connection we see with Sirius, but the whole dynamic changes with Remus. The pureblood boy raised in pureblood culture and Remus, who is not only a half-blood but a werewolf! Also: poor. Everything about Remus should be "wrong" but I think they could complement each other well. Remus is very smart and has lots of experience with troublesome Marauders....Draco's not going to give him any problems! Remus is patient and experienced and while he is capable of temper, and capable of mischief, he also has quite a stable and reliable presence to him that I think would appeal to Draco. Remus feels like a "safe" choice on a personal, one-on-one level, though their relationship itself would get all sorts of heat from all sides. Remus will find Draco to be endearing, even with all his sass and drama, and in Remus Draco will find love and acceptance he's never truly had before.

Draco/Ron: ah yes my enemies to lovers + opposites attract loves!! Both purebloods, but raised on opposite ends of the spectrum, Draco with the blood supremacy and in high society, with the Weasleys as "blood traitors" and poorer. Draco is the spoiled only child, Ron the sixth of seven children. The Gryffindor & the Slytherin, the Order vs the Death Eaters, and so on and so forth. Both very smart, both pretty temperamental, both pretty competitive. A lot of tension and a lot of fun. It's all SPARKS between them and I can see them both realizing how attracted (if not connected) they are waaaaay too late and being horrified by it which is hilarious. There's a lot of humor potential here, too, with two quick witted men! Also the aesthetic! Red hair and blond hair, blue eyes and gray eyes! 😍 (Listen, I can't lie, the aesthetic is just too good!)

Draco/Charlie: this is a fun one! A lil baby age gap. Plus Draco being the dragon, and Charlie being the dragon keeper. It's obvious but oh so delicious. There's the idea of some initial tension due to their families' history, but one easily moved past since they don't have personal history between them. Plus I see Charlie as very like Remus in being a sorta patient and stolid presence, and someone who can put up with all Draco gives and provides a safe place for him to be himself and be accepted and cared for. Also all the fun potential of postwar Draco escaping England and going to the dragon reserve and training as a healer there!!!! I'm a sucker for those stories, not gonna lie. Charlie is so fun and adventurous and I think he can really brighten Draco's life and help Draco find more of who he is in a safe and non-judgemental place.

Draco/Albus Severus: age gap galore! Dating the son of your childhood nemesis who looks like a mini him?? Too much fun I can't lie. (Also and this is very specific to me, but c'mon....Snarry + Dralbus???? Harry being horrified but also his son is just in the position he was in many moons ago!!!!) (I'm writing a fic like that right now, it's just slow going, but one day!!!! One day it will exist in the world.)

Neville/Percy: This one is hard to explain but like....the awkward romance vibes! Uptight Percy and chill but shy Neville. Neville can respect Percy's rules and standards I think, while Percy can appreciate Neville's strength and skill. Both are people whose contributions are often overlooked or belittled so them appreciating each other and finding that support and respect in each other would do them both a world of good I think!!

Neville/Remus: Age gap! Soft sweet bois. There's not enough of these two out there I swear, and they're both characters I have so much love for!! They're strong and decent and they've both overcome so much in life, and I think they'd have a nice steady and comfortable relationship once they got together.

Hermione/Ginny: It's so hard for me to find fics of these 2 that work for me but I still have so many feelings. They're such competent ladies. Very individual and independent and confident. I love the idea of Hermione being the brains and Ginny being the brawn haha! The bookworm and the athlete!! 😍 All the awkwardness of dating a friend and extra awkwardness if we keep Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione as temporary relationships (until everyone realizes they're gay, of course.) Ugh. There's just so much potential here and I need it!!!!

Ginny/Gwenog: mega rarepair but oh god I love them. 2 athletic ladies!! Plus age gap, at least some sorta age gap. I also love to headcanon Gwenog as a Slytherin and a bit arrogant and playing the story of "don't meet your heroes" with Ginny hero-worshipping Gwenog until they meet and get off on the wrong foot!! But then obviously fall together!!!! I need it I swear. I need to write more of them, maybe in the same universe as Red All Over...🤔

Fleur/Hermione: god I love them. Like with Hermione/Ginny it's putting two very skilled and competent ladies together. Brave and strong and sure in who they are and also their values. Fleur is also pretty dang badass. She was a champion!! I especially adore the idea of Fleur being a good role model for femininity and how it's okay to be fashionable and get dolled up for oneself, but also how women can still be capable while being attractive, and even if she's a little vain there's more to her than just that. And Hermione having to face her own prejudices against more "girly" things. And maybe Fleur having some disdain for Hermione's "know it all" attitude, and them working through bad first impressions and finding someone they can really connect with and have as a teammate in life. I really love the idea of them bonding over activism and Fleur being impressed with Hermione's passion, and sharing her own struggles as being part-Veela and the struggles her Veela family members have dealt with.

Severus/Filch: Age gap! Also: caretaker/student? Yes please. Something about this pair does it for me. Not as a forever love kinda thing, but definitely a special connection for two men who are starved for connection. Think about it: Filch is a Squib working in a magical school! No wonder he's so bitter. And the students don't treat him much better than he treats them, really. Then we have Severus, who is so skilled and so intelligent and so under-appreciated by practically everyone around him. By his peers. By his teachers. Even at home (whether or not Filch knows this), between Tobias not liking magic much, the abuse at least between Eileen and Tobias, but also I like to see Severus as being too bright as a kid and his parents not really knowing what to do with him in general. And then Severus being bullied at school for not being handsome enough or charming enough or having the right connections or having money, etc. And Filch sorta seeing something he relates to, not being appreciated, and himself learning to appreciate how sharp Severus is and how independent and capable he is. And Severus having someone who looks out for him, and who sees him, and having a safe place to be.

(Originally this was numbered but Tumblr tells me I exceeded the character per block limit 😒) (Anyway this next one is number 12 which is a good number to round off on.)

Harry/Scorpius: I've said it before and I'll say it again: Snarry is my husband and Scarry is the hot pool boy I fantasize about. I legitimately feel like I'm cheating on my OTP when they're in other ships but something about Harry/Scorpius draws me in! Part of it is, much like the reason I ship Snarry, I love both Harry and Scorpius so much. And this is Cursed Child Scorpius, the Cinnamon Roll, who is beyond precious and I adore him. Plus you know: age gap + "child of my school nemesis who looks just like him" and you know....+ son's best friend. It's so wrong and awkward and fun!! Especially when it's Scorpius having a massive crush on Harry from basically childhood and Harry eventually seeing him in a new light. PLUS with Snarry being forever in my head and heart, it's the idea of having another love so different from his first, which is softer and sweeter and both are really good but in different ways. And maybe Severus and Scorpius can each hold their own special, unique place in his heart (though I don't dare think long on why Severus might not be in the picture anymore...) Anyway idk Scarry just does it for me and I'm obsessed, but please don't tell my husband (Snarry.)

.....if you made it all the way through this, 10 points to your Hogwarts house.

[thedreamermusing]

Ship ask game: only if you like, please choose one of the less-main ships that MIGHT or MIGHT NOT be present in Canon (Pomona/Poppy? Filch/Cranky Librarian?) and go nuts with it.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you too! :D

Oooh this is an interesting question.

There's one author I've read who's made me ship a lot of obscure Snape ships. It's Delphi on ao3. I love her Snape/Filch and Snape/Kettleburn stuff. One that I ship a bit more seriously would be Snape/Dumbledore maybe?

What made you ship it?

It's so fucked up and dysfunctional. I love it. I love how much they both hate/respect/and *maybe* love the other. It's such a complex relationship but arguably one that saved the wizarding world.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I like that this is one ship that shows the less savoury parts of Dumbledore. Because in canon, we really see the manipulative part of Dumbledore come out in full force when he's with Snape. In many ways, he only shows this part of himself to Snape....but Snape still respects and follows him whole-heartedly.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

No opinion of mine could be as unpopular as the idea of this ship to most people so no. :D

[doxywings]

someday I’m sure I’ll forget that january 9th is snape’s birthday which means I won’t use it as an excuse to talk about snape x filch but sadly for my boyfriend that day has not yet come. long live snilch

[dastardly-lemondrops]

How did I not know @guljerry had written a Snilch fic??? This was amazing!

[danpuff-ao3]

Thanks for the recs!

@hprecfest I wanted to do this and made my first rec list :)

1. A favorite fic under 5k: Still Life (Drarry, E, 3k)

No summary given.

2. A comfort fic : Orange Blossoms @danpuff-ao3 (Snarry, T, 4k)

These are foolish times to have hope, and more foolish still to be in love. 

3. A podfic : Deadheading the Odd Dahlia @cailynwrites (Drarry, T, 1.5 hours)

Harry is content to spend his days at Draco’s flower stall at the farmers market, burying his true feelings in artisanal coffee and rose bouquets. When forced to find new lodgings, he accepts Draco’s offer to live in a cottage at Malfoy Manor, and his long-hidden crush blossoms out of control. Turns out, proximity makes the heart grow fonder.

4. A fic with art: The Curse of Anteros @danpuff-ao3 @mrviran (Snarry, E, 53k)

When Harry is cursed, he seeks out Severus Snape. They have a long history behind them, after all, and they've always had so much between them. Who else would he go to?

5. A non-AO3 fic : If You Are Prepared (Snarry, E, 193k)

A task he can't refuse. A boy he doesn't want to refuse.

6. An unreliable narrator fic : Heartbeat by @phantomato (Tomarrymort, Harry/Orion, E, 23k)

Harry, dumped into the past, communes with dangerous men.

7. A canon-compliant fic : Rapture by @mia-ugly (Snarry, E, 48k)

Snape sees the man, for the first time, on his twenty-fifth birthday.

8. A canon-divergence fic : Certain Dark Things by @liladiurne (Snarry, E, 50k)

In which Severus takes a trip to Italy, thinking he'll have a quiet time at the Malfoys' villa, but Harry has other plans.

9. A rare pair fic (less than 2000 fics on AO3) : The Sword of Gryffindor (Sneville, E, 58k)

“Do you feel strong hitting me?” Neville spits out. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this angry before, but there’s something else too. He wants to feel it again, the pain, wants to control it like he did last time. This isn’t like Amycus Carrow driving his wand into his shoulder blades while whispering about his parents, this isn’t sitting scared in a school bench while his sister rants about muggles with a crazy glint in her eye. A choice. He’s in control here, he can take it. “Do it again you fucking coward.”

10. A fest fic : Not All That Glisters by @sweet-s0rr0w (Drarry, E, 110k)

Lonely and frustrated on house arrest, with no prospects for the future, Draco begins brewing Felix Felicis in an attempt to improve his lot. Just in the short term, of course. He isn’t a total idiot. But before long he finds himself with a thriving business, a nice flat, some actual (albeit irritatingly Gryffindor) friends, and a very satisfying sex life. What’s more, no-one is hexing him in the street. And Harry Potter is single, and gorgeous, and giving Draco decidedly interested looks. Stop taking the Felix? You must be joking…

11. A dark fic : Frigid by @mrviran (Harrymort, E, 3k)

In which one of Voldemort's Horcruxes is broken, and needs to be fixed.

12. A WIP you’re following : Pacify by @chickenpets (Snarry, E, ongoing)

Pacify: 1. To allay the anger or agitation of 2. To reduce to a submissive state He would do his duty. He would save Draco, if he could. He would protect the students, if and when the school fell to the Deatheaters. And Potter. As far as he was concerned, Potter could have whatever he wanted, now. What was the point of trying to tell him no if he was going to be sacrificed on the pyre of the greater good? If Potter wanted to learn, Severus would be his teacher. If he wanted a master, then Severus would make him submit. And if he wanted a lover... well. Severus would love him. And that was it. Anything else was a waste of time. And there was so little of that.

13. A fic with over 100k words : Another Mask Behind You (Drarry, E, 116k)

Draco is a high-end prostitute who hides his identity. Harry unknowingly hires him. And then there is porn, questions about identity, domestic bliss, more porn, and truth as seen through a web of lies. (And then more porn. Seriously, if you don’t want sex scene after sex scene you probably shouldn’t read this. And please read the warnings.)

14. A favorite series : Love Your Enemy by @danpuff-ao3 (Snarry, E, 50k)

Love...hate...Harry and Severus definitely hate each other (if only because they love each other so much.)

15. The most recent fic you bookmarked : Everything We Dream Can be Real by @vdoshu (Tomarry, E, 51k)

Harry had a life after Voldemort. He had a family. He had a career. And then one day it was all ripped away when he woke up at Number 4 Privet Drive. Or: Where Harry doesn’t exactly get that chance to do it over again. And things are Not Okay.

16. A fic that made you laughed: Harry Potter and the Problem with Potions (Harry & Snape, T, 184k)

Once upon a time, Harry Potter hid for two hours from Dudley in a chemistry classroom, while a nice graduate student explained about the scientific method and interesting facts about acids. A pebble thrown into the water causes ripples. Contains, in no particular order: magic candymaking, Harry falling in love with a house, evil kitten Draco Malfoy, and Hermione attempting to apply logic to the wizarding world.

17. A fic that made you cry: Epitaphs in Autographs by @vukovich (Drarry, E, 7k)

A series of works surrounding death, imperfect relationships, flawed coping, and humanity.

18. A fairy-tale inspired fic : Two Lockets (Snarry, E, 57k)

Harry, Snape, and the grim old house that keeps its secrets.

19. Fic with the hottest smut: Ruin by @chickenpets (Snarry, E, 12k)

Severus didn’t even want to contemplate how quickly he’d crumbled, or how incredibly satisfying it felt to have Potter immobilized and powerless that way. Because the boy he had under his fist right then was not the same one that had barged into his lab demanding attention and slinging insults. This boy was… different. He was silent, and wide-eyed. Flushed, and panting, and very, very still. It was almost like alchemy. The Golden Brat of Hogwarts - the Chosen One - transformed instantly into this new apparition. He’d gotten what he wanted, Severus supposed. Brutality.

20. A fic rated G: The Son by @perverse-idyll (Regulus, G, 5k)

First there were two sons. Then there was one.

21. A thought-provoking fic : The Things We Need by @kbrick (Drarry, E, 25k)

Three hundred and fifty-three days out of the year, Harry is in a monogamous, fufilling relationship with Draco Malfoy. Then there are the other twelve days.

22. An unfinished fic (hasn’t updated in 10 years or author stated it been abandoned) : The Marriage Stone (Snarry, E, 382k)

To avoid the machinations of the Ministry, Harry must marry a reluctant Severus Snape. But marriage to Snape is only the beginning of Harry's problems. Voldemort has returned, and before too long Harry's marriage may determine the world's fate.

23. A soulmate fic : The Left Words (Harrymort, M, 234k)

Harry has some weird words on his left wrist. That must be one of those strange things that Aunt Petunia hates so much. But it's okay! He likes them. Then, it all turns even weirder. Hogwarts, magic, a Headmaster and a Dark Lord await Harry - he would prefer if they all just left him alone, thank you very much. But when has it ever mattered what Harry wants?

24. A holiday fic: All I Want for Christmas (is for You to Stop Talking) by @femmequixotic and noeon (Drarry, E, 162k)

The Niffler's Garden is the most prestigious wizarding nursery school in England and has been for the last century or more. Harry Potter's boys are both enrolled as pupils at the Garden. When he volunteers to assist with the Yule pageant, he has no idea that he'll be working closely with another parent, Draco Malfoy. Although they haven't seen each other much since their own school days, Harry faults Malfoy for not being a hands-on dad to little Scorpius. Will the intense weeks of preparation fan the fires of enmity or something else entirely?

25. A fic rated T: Altered Course by @crowcrowcrowthing (Tomarry, T, 12k)

Tom Riddle has a problem. He has so many plans, so many things to learn and accomplish during his time at Hogwarts, but one professor—one charming, talented, maddeningly handsome professor—is determined to get in his way. How does Professor Potter seem to anticipate Tom's every move? How does he always manage to stay several steps ahead, knowing secrets about Tom he has no right knowing? It’s simply unacceptable, and Tom needs to do something about it before everything is ruined.

26. A fic with an ending you can’t stop thinking about : Nocturne by @necromanticnoir (Snarry, E, 54k)

A Gothic Snarry version of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, inspired by the dark and sensual tale from the Czech film version, ‘Panna a Netvor’. I follow some of the plot, but then diverge and do my own thing. Got to make it even weirder, right? An eerie, erotic, brooding, bloody, batty, haunting fairytale. ‘Underneath my skin there’s a human. Buried deep within there’s a human. Despite everything, I’m still human.’ - ‘Human’ by Daughter

27. A Muggle-AU fic : with great outbursts and lightnings by @liladiurne (Snarry, E, 148k)

They stand there for a moment, just looking at each other. Harry has developed smoking to an art form that fascinates Severus. Everyone smokes in Paris, but he’s never taken up the habit himself. Watching Harry smoke, however, is strangely erotic. It feels like watching something that ought to be done in private. He wants to say something, anything, but he’s speechless. He’s a bloody poet, and here he is, standing speechless in front of a nineteen-year-old boy. March, 2013. In which Severus is a semi-famous poet with writer's block who moves back to London after the death of his lover and meets Harry, a prodigy struggling with his own demons.

28. An under-rated fic : An Eye for an Eye (Drapery, E, 42k)

Harry owes Draco a Life Debt.

29. A post-canon fic : Soup-pocalypse and the Great Curry Cataclysm (Drarry, E, 104k)

Eleven years after the war, Draco Malfoy leads a quiet, boring, and perfectly respectable life, thanks very much. Or, at least he does, until a sudden and very unexpected veela awakening causes him to throw soup all over Harry Potter in the middle of the Ministry cafeteria.

30. A pre-canon fic : He's just a Little Fixer-Upper (Snilch, E, 10k)

After Voldemort's first defeat, Snape's grief and guilt are overwhelming, and he starts thinking about ending it all. But there's someone in the castle who's been watching Snape since he was a child, someone determined to put him back together again.

31. A fav amongst favs: for this I have 1 for my 3 favorite ships :)

Wild (Drarry, E, 92k)

“No,” Harry said, by way of greeting. Malfoy’s blonde head rose slowly, carelessly. “Get out.” “I feel as though we’ve already established this, Potter,” Malfoy responded. “And I feel that what we established was that you telling me to get out of places really doesn’t make me more likely to vacate them.”

When the Rose and the Fire Are One by @perverse-idyll (Snarry, E, 81k)

Harry's haunted by guilt. Snape's warded by roses. Each must free the other in order to free himself.

Either must die at the hand of the other by @metalomagnetic (Harrymort, E, 260k)

Voldemort survives the Battle of Hogwarts because Harry Potter had not been the one to kill him, as the prophecy demands.

[sneverussape]

Rarepair Tag Game

@snapesnailtape tagged me for this and imma give it a go. thank you, snail! :)

no pressure tags go out to @wellpresseddaisy, @greens-your-color, @momo-t-daye, @mmad-lover and @owlzerness, but anyone who wants to do this, pls feel free.

answers and fic recs under the cut!

--

i don't have a lot of time or bandwidth to read to read fics outside of my main fandom at the moment (my evergreen trash man, sev) so i'll focus on that. if i think up any other rarepairs from other fandoms, i'll include them, but the fact of the matter is a lot of the other fandoms i'm in don't have quite as diverse a set of characters as this universe, so it's not as easy.

also general disclaimer that i read any and all pairings as long as the plot interests me, so i've probably seen this man shipped with everything at this point :)))

without further ado and in no particular order --

snilch. trust me, i wasn't sure about this pair either but, as with many others, the fic Father to the Man by Delphi absolutely floored me and convinced me of its potential. i think i read The Lad is Gone shortly after and it was just...i was sold. sold, i tell you. adjacent readings that i can recommend is one where filch is the main character but sev shows up a lot in it too: ozma's Squib series on ff net is fantastic. (also features filch accidentally almost killing sev with his newfound powers and rolling in guilt for it)

snetunia. this is just a delightful and guilty little pairing that i absolutely love. they're more alike than they are different, given their personalities and their view of the world. petunia is cynical, hateful and spiteful, and is an excellent mirror to snape and his own flaws. A Part of Yesterday is one of my fave fics for them and so is Abide in Me (Love is Not Enough). A Fish Without a Bicycle satisfied a sense of fluff and Always is a poignant little fic wherein they're all miraculously friends, which was a refreshing change.

snagrid. just rediscovered this quite recently actually because i remember there used to be a site dedicated to this pairing. Thief in the Night rekindled my love for it. there's just something about a gentle giant and an acerbic potions master with their massive size differences and the fact that hagrid really doesn't care for sev's frilled-lizard act that makes for fun reading. they also make for good friendship fics, like in It Was the Tea!

stonks. it was @chiwi-la-capybara's story, The Itch, that really hooked me into this pairing. i loooove the dynamic and potential they have, with tonks being a clumsy and fun-loving cop while sev is just...the way he is. :)) Escape is a good action-filled fic too and has them both playing the roles they're assigned to play.

toby/eileen!!! you know i had to put this in. i count them a rarepair because i'm of the what-if-toby-and-eileen-actually-did-get-along line of thinking. one of the most recent ones i've read is Over the Edge which i think captures their relationship(s) perfectly.

i've lost so many good fics over the years due to forums shutting down and links being thrown to the wind but if y'all have other recommendations for these pairings pls share! :)

[amaurotine-daydreaming]

IV. Off the Hook

Tsubame once said that Oboro's favorite disguise was that of the milkmaid. Jacke finds he's quite partial to it as well.

-

It was a bloody shame, it was, the way that old black marketeer had become one for the crows, but that was the risk of working in the underbelly of society, and nobody in the darkmans was about to shed a tear over it. He had been one of their best, true, but the Dutiful Sisters’ contacts were numerous and vast, and Jacke knew they–like the old man–weren’t all keen to hop the twig and come to Limsa.

When Jacke told The Stray he was going out for some air and to snilch some info from the ports, she just raised an eyebrow at him. She knew his little euphemisms well by now, but Jacke didn’t pay her any mind. Every rogue had their flights of fancy, and with someone he knew to be worthy of his trust was even benar. Besides, he needed to get out of the cloister of the Sisters time and again anyhow, and no one was gonna rook him of that.

The lass he was off to meet in Wineport wasn’t part of the Order, strictly speaking, but in the past few summers she had become one of their most reliable contacts. Slender and fair and a right wallflower, that one. Jacke didn’t mind the occasional bawdy mort what could break him in half if it was her fancy, but this unassuming lass had him in her pull stronger than a siren’s song without even knowing it.

Jacke found her standing primly in the shade of one of the vineyard’s trellised walls, dressed in her usual simple cotton dress and apron and clutching the handle of a milk pail ‘twixt her fingers. Her cropped, dark hair was brushed away from her face, and her eyes were closed. She seemed deep in some kind of peaceful repose, but Jacke was light on his feet as ever and still twenty paces when she opened her eyes and looked directly at him with a small smile. 

Jacke lifted his hand in greeting as he approached. “Ye all right, love? One o’ them beasties didn’t scratch ye up too badly on yer way here, did it?”

The maid lifted a hand to touch where, on the left side of her face, a long, thin scar ran down from her forehead to her jaw. She pursed her lips, but Jacke was undeterred as he sauntered over.

“But ‘ells, ye know I like a mort with scars.” He leaned one shoulder on the wall next to her, crossing his arms casually. “Just means she’s got a story or two to tell.”

“You know, Jacke,” Oboro murmured, one of his fingers tapping the handle of the empty pail he held, “for quotidian meetings such as this, we don’t have to employ quite such convoluted methods.”

“Aye,” said Jacke, grinning, “but where’s the fun in that? Ye make a right rum doxy, love, an’ besides, I hear it’s yer favorite spot o’ mummery to play the milkmaid.”

Oboro’s pale cheeks blossomed pink. Jacke’s grin broadened. That little detail may have been let slip by someone in their merry band after a few too many cups of sake during their trip to the Far East, and even now it flustered Oboro to hear it said. 

“Jacke, please,” Oboro demurred, as if he really were playing the part of a blushing young maiden with her first love. Jacke knew that, while it served the act well, it was in truth anything but. Aye, they weren’t used to a Limsan’s kind of forwardness in the Far East, and Jacke hoped Oboro never quite acclimated to that particular difference.

“Please what, love? Playin’ the doxy is the only way ye’ll let me off the hook for a kiss in the lightmans, anyhow.”

Oboro tilted his head at that, a small smile returning to his lips. “Wouldn’t you like the information?” His cheeks were still dusted pink, but he had recovered enough to now be teasing in earnest, the bene lad.

“Aye, the information,” Jacke said distractedly, his eyes straying from olive eyes fit for a temptress to an equally tempting mouth. “Ye can whisper it to me, quick-like.”

Jacke leaned in and Oboro leaned up. Oboro’s breath was gentle along Jacke’s ear and nape as he murmured about some unusual dealings passing along the Agelyss River. When Oboro finished and drew back, it wasn’t far, and Jacke was more than happy to take him up on the subtle invitation he’d come to know well.

Jacke settled a hand on Oboro’s hip as he languidly found his way past his lips. Whether playing the mort or not, he found Oboro was a rather reserved sort, favoring Jacke taking the initiative in these sorts of things. That was all right by Jacke, especially once he discovered that in the darkmans, Oboro’s ardor was not at all tempered for his coyness.

And even now, with his endearing, oft-stumbling enthusiasm tucked away from the lightmans, Oboro still sought to subtly give as good as he got. He pressed closer into their kiss, his tongue teasingly swiping Jacke’s. Jacke nipped his bottom lip in return with a chuckle, and between them he could feel Oboro’s fingers wrap even more tightly around the pail’s handle as a shiver trembled through him. 

Jacke could drink in those lips until the morrow, so it was with some reluctance that he finally parted from him. Oboro, as usual, opened his eyes second; slowly, as if lost in a pleasant dream. Jacke would never tell a soul, but it always made him preen a bit that a colt what tasted sweeter than any wine in this famous vineyard could be so swept away because of him. Oboro had made him enough of a bloody, lovestruck sot as it was, and some truths–like the precise knowledge of the planes and curves of the man beneath his hands–were too precious to share.

[the-lord-of-the-things]

Hello hello, it's me with asks for Mickey~

1. Are they associated with a certain colour? What colour do they wear the most? 6. How do they wear their hair? Do they care a lot how their hair looks? 18. Their opinion on lying, killing, stealing? 30. Do they smell like anything notable?

ohoho some excellent ones for the Mickster 1. Blue. The color that pops to mind when I think Micky is a brilliant bright blue, like cherenkov radiation off a reactor. Close seconds are burnt orange and mustard yellow. These are also colors he wears a lot- from his blue vault suit to earthy oranges and yellows. 6. If it's long enough to go in a ponytail, its goin into a ponytail. Practicality over all, gotta keep it outta the way and off the neck. As Michael, he'd have short cropped hair, which grew into what I jokingly call his depression bangs that got sheered off on the left side into his signature look that I draw him in most often. I have him cut his hair back short after post game and Lonesome Road- moreso on the sides and still a lil long on top, a midpoint between Michael and Micky. I have gotten fond of drawing him in a long mohawk though, maybe he does that after he's older. 18. Micky isn't averse to killing, but he doesn't go out of his way to or delight in it. He's a very pragmatic "they're gonna keep causing harm if I don't stop it, permanently" type and it doesn't keep him up at night. Similair situation with lying, he doesn't go out of his way to lie, but he'll gladly lie his ass off without flinching or missing a beat if the situation calls for it. Micky grasps that things do or do not belong to someone, but he's not terribly invested in the idea. He's had some sticky fingers at times, maybe snilched a dinky toy or two cause he doesn't want it badly enough to pay for it, and if its useful and he needs it? Well if they won't miss it too much... 30. Depends on the situation, if he's been traveling around he probably reeks of dust and dirt and sweat. He does like his personal grooming and the making of products for it, however, so if he's been able to freshen up he probably smells unusually nice for someone in the wasteland- of floral or herby home made soap

[consistentsquash]

I was going to rec Consanguinity on another theme but I am going to swap it for another Tryfanstone fic because your rec is everything <3 I love Consanguinity <3 I love Tryfanstone's writing so much and get into great canons because of their fics.

Father to the Man is brilliant. Some of my absolute fav Delphi fics are in this era of their Snilch.

Rapture is a brilliant gateway fic for Snarry and I just love seeing new folks react to it/fall in love with it.

HP Rec Fest Day 2

@hprecfest - Theme: a comfort fic

These are all fics I have read many, many times. Not only for comfort, but to have my heart wrung, to bask in the sheer fucking delight of writers who know how to use language and address the incomplete promises of characters glimpsed during their moments of plot utility. They make me happy, these stories. Oh, they hurt me along the way, of course, because I'm drawn so far in, so absorbed. I love that kind of immersion, and the pleasure of knowing a story so well. And these particular stories never lose their aesthetic thrill or the experience of the emotional journey. They're cathartic, though not flamboyantly so. I come back to them because they make me love these characters over and over again. And then I end up loving the authors, too.

Father to the Man by Delphi, Snape/Filch, 20,231 words.

I adore all of Delphi's Snape/Filch, but this is the one that gives the most comfort. It's a surgically precise, poignant, often witty, unerringly aware portrait of young Professor Snape making yet another mistake by yet again doing something he shouldn't be, thus hoicking his five-year-old self from the past into the present. That wasn't Severus' intention, and he's not happy to have this walking, talking, aggravating, bed-wetting reminder of his own abused innocence and embarrassing ignorance underfoot. Fortunately, Filch is there to save Snape from himself (literally, although he can't prevent one punishing trip to an abandoned Spinner's End). When it becomes clear the boy can't be sent back, Severus makes a decision that is both selfish and self-denying, a special kind of altruism (you'll see what I mean). And then Delphi, always scrupulous in how they weigh Snape's guilt, for once chooses hope over canon. And in a story about, among other things, forgiving oneself, that is absolutely the loveliest gift.

2. Consanguinity Arc by Jay Tryfanstone, Snarry, two short preludes and one main fic amounting to 24,351 words.

Oh, I love outsider POV, especially when the focus is my OTP. I love Muggles having to make sense of magical people, and wizards behaving like weirdos - ominous weirdos when viewed through a nonmagical lens - especially Snape and Harry, who in this fic are forced to unravel their issues in front of various captive audiences (therapist, lawyer, divorce court - all Muggle). (Imagine being Snape's solicitor!) The characterizations stand aslant to canon, which in this case makes them fascinating and adds to the sense of alienation from known things. Tryfanstone is one of those writers who can make characters and emotions spring fully to life, sparingly told but with the perfect detail. And again, wit! The courtroom scenes crackle. Snape and Harry spar, Snape and the therapist have a contest of wills (guess who wins), and the shadows of war and death and forgiveness that loom in the background build to a finish in which erotic sparks fly. This fic has one of my favorite concluding scenes in all of Snarrydom, brief but explosive, a hot, hilarious, breathtaking release.

3. Rapture by @mia-ugly, Snarry, 48,123 glorious words.

Rapture probably doesn't need a lot of introduction among Snarry readers, but it's been a beloved comfort fic of mine since it was first posted. The prose is beautiful, a cross between poetic and urgent, with spot-on humor for extra flavor (who can forget Severus' horrible aunt?). Harry time-travels at the whim of a pocket watch, unable to control it and with no ability to warn Severus of his impending fate. They meet on Severus' 25th birthday, when he's drunk and damaged and unprepared for kindness. Between one moment and the next, Harry's gone, and Severus is left to fall in love with a young man who keeps reappearing in his life without rhyme or reason and then leaving again. The story is, against all odds (it's Snarry, after all), devastatingly romantic, lyrical not only in words but in spirit, with Severus' recurring grief and angry, desperate heart on the one hand, and Harry's desire to love and save him on the other, twisting all the way through the narrative to the remarkable end, which steps outside the lines of storytelling and speaks, I think, for a lot of Snarry fans at that moment in time. I will always feel my heart being wrenched the same way it was when I first read this fic, but it's a welcome pain precisely because it's so beautiful.

[danpuff-ao3]

Rarepair Tag Game

Thanks for the tag @cindle-writes!

Tagging: @writcraft, @perverse-idyll, @lizzy0305, @tackytigerfic, @sitp-recs, @consistentsquash, @mxlfoydraco, @wolfpants, @crazybutgood, @siriusly-sapphic, @stonedregulus, @broomsticks, @phoebe-delia, @nv-md, @ashesandhackles, @teacup-tai, @billsfangearring, @snapesnailtape, @fangqueen, @charlotterhea, and uhhh...anyone else who wants to play? And no pressure to the zillion people I tagged. It's just for funsies and I'm curious about what folks like! 😄

Rules: List the top rarepairs that you like outside of your OTP, and why you ship it! (Criteria for what makes a rarepair is up to your own discretion.)

My OTP is Snarry and I'm pretty sure most ships I like outside of Snarry are rarepairs haha! Let's seeeee...🤔

Harry/Scorpius

As I like to say: Snarry is my husband, and Scarry is the hot poolboy. I am a devoted wife, I swear, but sometimes...Well, sometimes a gal fantasizes about the poolboy, what can I say? 🤷‍♀️ I often struggle shipping Harry or Severus with other people, but Scarry feels less like a struggle and more like temptation. And while I find Young Severus ships easier to read (as I can imagine all roads lead to Snarry), I suppose Scarry can be enjoyed in the terrible universe in which Harry's actual soulmate was gone. (Not me vehemently defending myself for my guilty pleasure ship, noooo 😂)

Anyway, all that to say, I often wondered why I shipped Scarry myself. Why it's so much easier for me to enjoy than other Harry ships. Sure, it has the age gap thing going for it. And "son's best friend" going for it. And "son of my childhood rival" thing. Okay so yeah maybe it does make sense. 😂 What it lacks (in my imaginings) is all the fire I generally am drawn to, but ah well. It has enough else going in its favor. And really, what I'm only just now recognizing is that this sort of came together for me the same way Snarry did: my great love of the characters separately. I read the Cursed Child and fell in love with sweet cinnamon roll Scorpius. Which turned into...me being into Scarry!

Of course in my brain it happens one of two very specific ways 😂 Either Severus is...not there. For reasons. And Harry moves on with Scorpius one day. OR it's a one sided crush on Scorpius' end, which I am also hecka into. Who doesn't like a bit of unrequited love?? (At least, when their OTP isn't suffering for it.)

Draco/Sirius

I'M OBSESSED. WHY IS THERE NOT MORE OF THIS SHIP OUT THERE???? I CRY. Ahem. Anyway.

It's the age gap. It's the cousin incest. It's the "hooking up with my rival's godfather." It's the Gryffindor vs Slytherin of it. It's the Order and Death Eater of it. Also...they're both really pretty. 🤷‍♀️ Those good good Black genes, you know?

Also I just feel like...it can work. One of those things that might start off as sex and becomes really serious even though they both refuse to admit it for the longest time?

Sirius likes a challenge, I think, and Draco can provide one. And there's much more depth to Draco than I think Sirius might initially give him credit for. I see him as being a bit vain and a bit proud, but also insecure and vulnerable. He's sassy and bratty, and spoiled, but also with a lot of hurt and a lot of problems he himself might not be fully aware of. It's the complications and contradictions the Black family knows so well, and Sirius can understand Draco at that level better than most people, but also isn't so tied to family tradition that he can help pull Draco away from it. Sirius can shake up Draco's world a bit. Show him fun, silly things like bars and motorcycles and crappy Muggle flats. But also introduce him to freedom, and letting loose, and finding himself outside of that "Malfoy heir" identity, the way Sirius ran away from his "Black heir" identity.

I don't think Draco will pull away as much as Sirius did, and Sirius will understand enough to meet Draco where he is. And he knows the world Draco comes from enough to integrate into it when he needs to. And I think they'll find a lot of understanding and acceptance together, and learn a lot together, and explore a lot together, and be really chaotic and intense and messy together, and find so much joy and contentment together.

I have many Drarius feelings and I really need to write more of them one day.

Snape/Filch

Delphi sure SOLD me on this one, geez Louise. This is one of those I don't think is forever, but is meaningful and impactful to both parties. (It's gotta end Snarry, y'know? 👀) Love the age gap. And I love it best when it's student/caretaker. Maybe New Professor/caretaker, even. I love the idea of these two outcasts coming together and finding comfort together, and being able to appreciate each other in ways other people don't.

They both have their bitterness, and their sense of cruelty. They're both overlooked and unappreciated. Filch as the Squib looking after a magical castle full of magical people. The butt of many jokes. And Severus, the half-blood, the poor kid, the ugly kid. From a rough background, and surrounded by peers of much better circumstance. Targeted by the Marauders (who cause Filch enough trouble, too.)

It's fascinating to me, to see Filch, who doesn't seem to like much of anyone, being drawn to Snape. Sort of feeling a kindred spirit in some ways. A sense of camaraderie in the way Snape is seen, and treated, by others. Severus' broodiness and bitterness. But mostly sparked by some stunt pulled by the Marauders.

And Filch being the one to see how amazing Severus is. How intelligent and skilled, but looked over in favor of more handsome and charming and well-connected students. And I can see him being a bit torn between smug pride over how similar they are, and sharing that feeling of "yeah people don't see what I'm capable of, either" and then part of him growing to really care for Severus and wanting better for him and wanting others to actually see Severus the way Filch does. And Severus appreciating that, and feeling seen and safe with someone, at least to the extent that he can feel those things. (Wary as he is.) And really enjoying the affection he gets, and pleasure from their physical relationship. And maybe learning at least some small sense of self-worth and confidence in his own physicality.

One day I'm going to write the Snilch-turned-Snarry of my dreams and it's gonna be great, and in the meantime, a gal can dream.

Ginny/Gwenog

LISTEN. 2 lady athletes being hot together? Why not?? Of course with Gwenog being barely more than a mention, a lot of this is built on headcanon for her, but like...

Quidditch hero Gwenog. I like to headcanon her as a Slytherin (primarily due to a Snegurochka fic.) She's a Slug Club alum. She's a famous athlete. So I like to imagine her as a bit arrogant, and sure of herself. And maybe there initially being a "don't meet your heroes" moment between Gwenog and Ginny wherein Ginny very quickly loses her admiration of Gwenog because they meet at the wrong time (imagine they meet at some Slughorn event, haha.) But as Ginny loses interest in Gwenog, Gwenog's interest in Ginny is sparked.

Then one day they meet on the pitch, either as teammates or rivals. Either could be fun! And sort of coming together over their love of the sport and Ginny realizing there's more to Gwenog than first impression led her to believe. Also: there's at least some sorta age gap there, which you KNOW I love!

Also I love the idea of tabloids painting Ginny some type of way when she moves from a high profile relationship with Harry Potter: hero to a high profile relationship with Gwenog Jones: celebrity athlete. And maybe unfairly getting a reputation as a fame whore. And Ginny being super bitter about it because they don't understand!!!!

Anyway basically there's a lot of fun to be had.

Also I have weirdly specific feelings about tall Ginny. Just this tall pretty redhead athlete with short!Harry, and then moving onto her shorter butch girlfriend Gwen. Idk but really tall and more femme Ginny just does it for me. Like...she's like "I have long hair and I can pull off pretty dresses, but also I have the Bat Bogey Hex mastered, and I'll kick your ass on the pitch" and I respect that.

Hermione/Lavender

My newest obsession weirdly??? Even though I've read hardly any fics for it and there's no age gap to be seen. 🤨 Love me some Hermione/Fleur you know (my favorite Hermione ship still), and Hermione/Minerva and Hermione/Narcissa, but lately Hermione/Lavender is doing it for me on an almost opposites attract level?

This gives me a big impression of two people with the wrong idea of each other and having to face their own biases once they start to connect on some level. And then both being Ron's exes is hilarious. Bonus points for that. And imagine them as a longterm couple and they laugh years later over it. "Remember how we both dated the same guy? And we were jealous of each other? And now we're madly in love? Haha, life is funny."

Like, yeah, Hermione can be a bit bossy and fussy, and opinionated and judgmental in her own way. A bit self-righteous. Lavender isn't a very academic sort of person, but she's not dumb, and she's very brave. I like the idea of Lavender finding respect and admiration for Hermione only once she moves past Hermione being "very smart." And even Hermione sees so much of her value tied to her intelligence, and Lavender finding value literally everywhere else. How loyal Hermione is, how passionate she is, her love of travel and culture, etc.

And Hermione having to look past Lavender's "silliness" and face just how judgmental she is, and having to come to grips with yeah Lavender likes to gossip, and dress up, and she's very romantic, and she's interested in Divination, but there's also more to her than that. And that there is still value in things Lavender enjoys even if Hermione doesn't care for them herself, or even "believe" in them. And Hermione finding value in Lavender beyond how pretty she is, or how playful (especially postwar when Lavender maybe deals with heavy scarring and trauma and maybe heavy blows to her self-esteem.) And maybe being seen and recognized for better qualities even she maybe didn't think of herself as having, such as being quite brave and quite strong.

I dunno I just really want to explore them and all of the potential gives me many feelings.

[dastardly-lemondrops]

Continually irritated to find that 'snape twitter' is full of antis.

To clarify, I don't mean anti-snape people because the last time I posted about this, that's what people thought I meant. I mean snape fans who are clutching their pearls at things like age gaps in ships. So like being Snape fans who go into heart palpitations at the existence of ships like Snarry or Snamione, or I guess even Snilch or Snagrid. Essentially most Snape ships really. I mean I guess you can ship him with one of the marauders or like his housemates in his same year. Not Lucius though.

[bi-snape]

Aurora, bursting into the room: You two are having sex!

Severus, not looking up from his book: Really? Argus, why didn’t you tell me? I would have put my book down.

[ainyan]

I think a lot depends on the Warrior of Light, what they do with their gil, and how else they might supplement their income.

Like, a lot of adventurers are always portrayed as pretty broke, and I like to think it's because they're impulse shoppers. They see something they absolutely must have, and they blow all of their gil on it, then they have to go do more dungeons. If your WoL is one of those kinds of adventurers, they might make plenty of money - but they probably blow it.

Meanwhile an Ul'dahn WoL might prefer to take all of his gil and squirrel it away against a rainy day, and inadvertently qualify for the Syndicate by the time they reach Endwalker.

A Gridanian WoL might reinvest in Gridania and end up giving a lot of his gil to support various initiatives based on where their loyalties lie.

An Ishgardian WoL might give his money to his family to replenish the family coffers, and then draw from those when he needs funds.

Some WoLs probably give their money over to Tataru for the Scions and let the Scions provide them with whatever they need, while others might only tithe a portion of their income and use the rest to pay for whatever it is they need to pay for.

I'll bet the Warrior of Light gets a lot of free stuff, too - and whether or not they accept it depends on their disposition.

For my main, Kal'istae is very wealthy, but that's a direct result of her crafting and gathering and her ability to play the market board. (Also, from having nine retainers that bring back things like black dye and rare clothing pieces snilched from Rose's storerooms). By contrast, Szah'li barely has enough to make ends meet, but that's because he prefers to live frugally and sends most of his money back to the Twelveswood to support some of the Keeper families in the Black Shroud.

A good question, an excellent exercise in thought!

Serious question:

Do ya'll think the WoL is at least somewhat moderately wealthy as a direct result of being the Warrior of Light? Gameplay-wise, we receive currency for completing most quests, and five expansions worth of quests adds up to a few million gil, but do you consider that canon? And does it go directly to the WoL or to the Scions' coffers? Do you think the Scions receive some kind of salary?

Like yeah 9000 gil for a hair tie sounds outrageous, but the WoL probably makes that much brushing their teeth in the morning so is it really?

[consistentsquash]

one author you miss who is no longer writing for Harry Potter fandom

Hiya! Sorry this took ages. Some of my fav authors are still updating so it's great! My TBR is seriously long.

I was definitely hyped to see Delphi updating their Snilch series Snape of St. Brutal's. Really missed their Snape works.

Really hope emrldapplejuice someday gets more inspiration to write hp femslash. I love their fics <3

More rinsbane Snarry fic would be awesome. 0.000001% chance of that happening but I love those fics.

[throwthemanaway]

The love life of Severus Snape according to Harry J. Potter:

The Sorcerer’s Stone

”He pushed the door ajar and peered inside—and a horrible scene met his eyes. Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees.”

The Chamber of Secrets

”Now, I don’t want any of you youngsters to worry—you’ll still have your Potions master when I’m through with him, never fear!”

”Wouldn’t it be great if they finished each other off?” Ron muttered in Harry’s ear

Prisoner of Azkaban

“Was he imagining it, or were Snape‘s eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural?”

Goblet of Fire

“I want to talk now, while you can’t slip off, Severus. You’ve been avoiding me.”

Order of the Phoenix

“Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he’s delighted his lapdog’s working at Hogwarts.”

“Sirius pushed his chair roughly and stride around the table toward Snape, pulling out his wand as he went; Snape whipped out his own.”

Half-blood Prince

“Snape!” ejaculated Slughorn.

Deathly Hallows

”I prefer not to put all of my secrets in one basket, particularly not a basket that spends so much tile dangling on the arm of Lord Voldemort.”

”Snape’s Patronus was a doe,” said Harry, “the same as my mother’s because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children.”

”He desired her, that was all,” sneered Voldemort, but when she was gone he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him—“