#artemisia fic recs

[artemisia-black]

March fic recs

I've decided to do a monthly roundup of the fics I've been enjoying as a thank you to the amazing writers who bring me so much joy.

So I actually didn't read much this month as I've been a little unwell, so this is a list of some old-faves from my history(in no particular order)

Here is January and Febuary .

Do You need something by @black-sparroww

Sirius can't decide whether Kingsley is very flirtatious or he himself just too horny.

2. I awaken with your name  @decemberistafic

1968. Now in her fifth year of Hogwarts, all Andromeda Black wants to do is concentrate on her O.W.L.s. The world, however, has other ideas.

(Or: Andromeda and Ted, 1968-71. On escaping the places we come from, coming of age during a war, and finding hope).

3. The fiction of Realness by @evesaintyves

Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and the ways they haunt each other and the people they left behind.

4. Stars shine darkly @unspeakable3

Regulus Black starts school weighed down by his brother's achievements and his parents' expectations. He attempts to navigate the mundanities of daily life at Hogwarts, while tensions rise both inside and outside the castle.

5. And he drank  @green-and-grey-kenaz

“I am a soldier. I fight for a better world. I fight for justice, so we will not have to hide who we are. God made us all, why should we be considered some great shame to be kept hidden and downtrodden? We’re all His children, we’re worthy of walking in the light!” Regulus bit back the spiel that threatened to spill from his lips as angry tears hit his hands. They burnt his skin. “I… I fear that we are becoming the persecutors. In the days since my last confession, I have witnessed… torture and murder. I played my part in it. I have enforced my will on others and felt pride in my skill. Forgive me.”

Regulus struggles to reconcile his faith with his life as a Death Eater.

6. The might of the architect by tinyporcelainehorses

Hogwarts, Britain's largest community of magical learning, is only decades old and already bitterly divided. England has fallen to a foreign king. And as the stone walls of Hogwarts grow ever higher, whispers say that Salazar Slytherin is plotting something... Two students from either side of a war are driven together by events that will change Britain, magical and non-magical, forever.

[kulapti]

Aug 2023, bookbinding of The Silent Isle Imbowers by Tharkuun.

I’m sooo so so pleased to finally share this! I have been actively working on this for many months and waited until Tharkuun received her copy before posting so the final result would be a surprise.

-----------About this bookbinding under the cut

This binding has been one of the more elaborate pieces I have attempted so far. This has been my first binding where I (1) made three copies of a piece at once, (2) used a modified a historical illustration, (3) collaborated directly with another artist on the decorative elements, (4) finished matching art for the cover and title page, and (5) layered paint and heat-transfer vinyl for the covers. These are also (6) the first non-tiny books I have made with this style of hinge and cover attachment.

Pretty much immediately after I first read this story I felt I had to make myself a copy of this. I had a strong mental image of a vintage-looking cover for a fairy tale, with a deceptively simple design of flowers on the cover, probably with fancy metallic accents, the kind of thing you’d find in an interesting used bookstore with no summary, no text on the back, no dust jacket, just the flowers and maybe a title. I’m going to make a separate post about making this cover design a reality because oh man has it been a journey lol! I designed and drew the digital art for the cover (digital because of the cut and application method), as well as the corresponding title page illustration (pencil and dip pen, scanned, title added digitally).

When I asked Tharkuun about it she was excited to suggest I get in touch with quillingwords, who generously agreed to collaborate with me! Among her talents quilling writes calligraphy, and hand wrote both the book title and chapter headers for me to incorporate into my plans. Check OUT those chapter headers! So fancy! A font could never!! Quilling has also been very encouraging and let me yell about this project in dms for months so the final result could be a surprise for Tharkuun. Thank u so much quillingwords, your calligraphy adds invaluable amounts of swag to this project.

I was going to do some kinda neat font for the chapter headers, but quilling’s work is too cool for that and I decided to use a modified piece of a historical illustration instead. The illustration also happens to be cool as heck: I was browsing the Artstor database (an academic quality resource available for free via Jstor, my beloved) and found E. N. Neureuther's 1836 gorgeous etching for etching of the fairy tale Briar Rose, an illustration made for a printing of a Brothers Grimm recorded German fairy tale with Sleeping Beauty elements. Much to my delight this illustration not only matches the general look I wanted but is actually relevant to the story, itself a Sleeping Beauty spinoff.

Slightly less stylistically consistent are the endpapers, which are prints of two different paintings by Arnold Böcklin: Isle of the Dead (1883) in the front and Isle of Life (1888). The first painting had occurred to me as an excellent visual to go with the story, and Tharkuun and I discussed this and agreed that pairing it with the related later, more optimistic piece was too thematically appropriate to resist.

I had fun and learned a lot making these books and I am very pleased with the result!!

Materials: Archival bookboard, cardstock, cotton cheesecloth mull, archival PVA glue, linen thread coated in beeswax, paper cord, red cotton embroidery floss. Blue cotton backed with archival paper, acrylic paint, machine cut black and gold heat-transfer vinyl. Laser printed text and illustrations. Metallic scrapbooking paper.

[ladiesofhpfest]

One Night In The House Of Black by sleepstxtic - a Podfic read by @cailynwrites

With just a couple days left before we start our next theme, we are so pleased to share that we have our first podfic submission for the Ladies of HP Fest! This podfic was made for the fic One Night in The House of Black by @sleepstxtic, which was written for last year's @womenofthehouseofblack fest!

Instead of a snippet, here's the cover art that podficcer @cailynwrites chose for the work:

Cover Art includes "The Gleaners" by Jean-Francois Millet.

Come check out the first podfic submission for the fest!

[roalinda]

♡Fic Feature Friday 6♡

Based on this concept and tagged by @strugglequill and @fiendishfyre , here is my rec of this friday.

Fic: And I've never loved a darker blue, than the darkness I have known in you by @artemisia-black

Reltionship: Sirius Black/Bellatrix Black

Summary:

A fic exploring the love/hate relationship between Sirius Black and Bellatrix Black.

A dark fairytale.

Rating: E

"I'm surprised Voldemort can even get it up for you-" his breath whispered against her hair. "Here's me thinking he only gets hard at the thought of dead bodies. Although I suppose your naked body is fairly rancid." 

Bellatrix's grip on her blade tightened the metal, biting into Sirius's skin just enough to draw a thin line of crimson, a stark contrast against the pallor of his flesh. 

Yet, Sirius's expression twisted into a perverse amusement, a dark fascination with their deadly dance. 

"Brave words for someone at the wrong end of a knife," she hissed, her voice laced with venom. 

[seriousbrat]

I've said it before, but the fun of these characters is that they are messy arrogant berks.

Sirius is a glorious dickhead and that's why I love him.

so true my beloved artemisia-black!! I honestly can't understand this because the entire reason I like the characters is because they suck (read: they are complex, morally grey, multifaceted, interesting) it's very unrelatable to me the way people seem to purposefully ignore or rewrite the most fascinating parts of these characters.

mean girl dickhead Sirius Black is my entire life, my favourite character in harry potter and I love him exactly as he is.

ALSO, I received an anon a while ago about Sirius fic recs (I'm notoriously bad at recommending fic lol) so I want to take this moment to recommend artemisia's work because it's my fave and I've been thinking for like an entire week about how I completely blanked when I replied to that anon and somehow forgot about artemisia's treasure trove of sirius-centric fics lol.

[ashesandhackles]

Fic Author Self Rec

Thanks for the tag, @turanga4 ❤️

When you get this, reply with your 5 favourite fics that you've written. Then pass it on to five other writers. Spread some self love.

My favourite fics are some of my popular ones and I talk about them all the time, so I am going to showcase the little known ones I have soft spots for.

Ariadne - Cho/Harry, canon compliant. Set in OOTP.

When I was rereading OOTP, I was utterly fascinated by the mess that is Cho/Harry. (The messier a relationship, the more I am interested in it). Grief propels this teenage relationship, and there is a certain morbid quality to Cho's attraction to Harry in OOTP. It's her need to be as close to, or have closure to her feelings about Cedric that she processes via her attraction to Harry. And that eroticisation of grief is incredibly - true to life and deserves exploration. This was my attempt to explore that using the myth of Ariadne and the Minotaur to add a surreal quality to Cho's inner life.

Purple Haze - Ron/Hermione, canon compliant.

This bi4bi Romione was written for @thethreebroomsticksficfest Pride fest! The envy/attraction paradigm is a pretty common experience for queer kids - do I want to be them or do I want them? and I wanted to take some really pivotal Romione moments in canon and offer a different interpretation for the potent jealousy both characters display at different points in the series. I actually remember struggling with the Fleur/Hermione scene in the beginning, and I remember hashing it out with @artemisia-black who was such a lovely sounding board for it!

Also, I was pretty daunted at writing Ron - a character I think I understand well, but cannot, for the life of me, write his voice. I still feel the choices I made for his POV is a style I am comfortable writing rather than something that actually suits him, but I'll get better I suppose.

Breathe the Air of Elsewhere Places - Asexual Charlie.

Also written for the @thethreebroomsticksficfest ❤️ As a 31-year-old queer woman who keeps getting asked when I plan to marry etc, I wanted to push back against privately, in my fanfiction world, to heteronormative ideas of happiness. Charlie of this fic is very comfortable with who he is, but is also looking for a home - however that might look like. I have also had a queerplatonic dynamic in the past, and wanted to pay a little tribute to thr relationship which has profoundly changed me (as it would change Charlie). I directly lifted - "I believe in serendipity when I'm with you" from there. Anyway, found family tropes for life.

October - Gen.

Three drabbles written for the Halloween celebrations at TTB. One focuses on Barty Crouch Jnr, one focuses on Ginny and one on Snape. I am particularly proud of "Disappointing Fathers" which was my attempt to get into BCJ's head.

Death, a Thief, an Old Friend - Harry & Hermione.

Using oppositional sides of thematic narrative which Harry and Hermione occupy with regard to faith/death to explore their friendship. Inspired by @bluethepineapple who said this: "Hermione serves as Harry's antithesis on the Death theme dripping through the books. When it comes to symbols of Death, it is Harry and Hermione who are in conversation with each other, and this conversation is series wide. The Grim (Harry responds to this with humour, avoidance) while Hermione fights the idea that it is an omen. She represents the fight for life, and fear of unknown that comes with Death. The story repeats this symbol with the Veil in OOTP, and then again, the grave and Resurrection Stone in DH."

Tagging @thecat-isblogging-blog @artemisia-black @yletylyf @saintsenara @hinnyfied @lanaturnergetup @somesunlitdays @broomsticks

[broomsticks]

Day 18: Fic inspired by a fairy tale

One Night In The House Of Black

@sleepstxtic on tumblr and AO3 • 9k, M • Artemisia Black/Eunon Blackwood

When a stranger comes knocking on the doors of her House, Artemisia Black must make a choice. What happens that night will determine the fate of her family forever.

Rec: this fic!! holy shit! it’s so unique!! when i prompted something along the lines of cultural myths, legends, and fairytales for @womenofthehouseofblack fest, this was basically exactly what i had in mind - or rather, would have loved to but never in a million years would have dared to hope to get. the dramatiques of the Black family just lend themselves so perfectly to these kinds of stories! most of which, at least in their original versions, can get so surprisingly dark 😎. love it love it love it. the story-within-a-story format works perfectly too. it’s at once familiar and new - author does such a great job of bridging different worlds, in so many more ways than one.

Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45987415

--

@hprecfest | hprecs on dreamwidth | my #hprecfest picks

[takeariskao3]

ok, I will bite for your asking for recs! I know how you like Hinny, and while I do not have any Hinny for you, I perhaps have some other ships/fics that will soothe the itch for people breaking up and getting back together, or giant dumpster fires that will be resolved only through agonizing emotional trauma. (that's what you're into, right?)

My first rec is a self-rec, Supernova. It's a they-break-up and then find each other again Tedromeda AU, with Remadora coming in later, and some high quality trauma for all our main characters. If you want regency vibes, dysfunctional purebloods, and lots of repressed sexual tension, this is the one for you.

Next I shall recommend Pietas, by @artemisia-black. More of that pureblood culture/society, but centering on the idea of the Black family trying to arrange a marriage for Sirius. Get ready for awkward, dorky teenage Sirius with lots of mummy issues, gorgeous prose, and because it's a canon-compliant piece, the feeling that something is not going to be great.

Finally, if you're looking for shorter fics, I recommend @merlinsbudgiesmugglers's Tedromeda series. Start with Not Tonight. You are welcome for the lingering glances, sexual tension, and fluff/angst all in one.

"that's what you're into, right?"

THE SCREAM I JUST SCRUMPT

okay i marked all of these for later on ao3! i've been meaning to pick up Pietas for a while now, especially after @artemisia-black's walburga/orion horny on main meltdown over the weekend!

[celestemagnoliathewriter]

Fic Author Self Rec

When you get this, reply with your 5 favourite fics that you've written. Then pass it on to five other writers. Spread some self love.

Thanks for the tag @artemisia-black! Let's gooooo.

1. Moonlit Marriage

I've gotten so much positive feedback on this one. I am humbled by all your kind words, especially with how slow the updates have been. Moonlit Marriage has been a struggle to write at times, but I've enjoyed it immensely, and I'm happy so many of you enjoy it too. This is one of my favorite passages from it so far:

Remus couldn’t have this conversation like this, lying on his side while she looked down on him. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, knowing there was little to lose. They were married; any admission of his feelings would earn her disgust or disdain, but she couldn’t leave him. He had trapped her, completely and shamefully, and this would be the coup d’état, the final offense of being tied to a werewolf. She would see him for what he truly was: a lecherous, selfish beast.  

2. All That Remains

This medium-length fic was so much fun to write! I don't usually get to write a character like Regulus. It was tremendously enjoyable to write this shithead and his exceedingly misguided actions. I even made all the chapter titles in French to make it extra pretentious, just like Regulus would want! A favorite passage below:

“Someone will explain why the elf is cradling an infant—immediately.”

Walburga took the letter from Regulus and shoved it into Orion’s hands. He scanned it quickly and scoffed.

“This is absurd. Get rid of it.” With a clap, he summoned Kreacher. At the elf’s appearance, Orion began ordering him to get rid of the child, but Kreacher appeared to be struggling.

“Father! Kreacher!” Regulus shouted. “Enough! There is a way to know if she’s mine—”

“—even if that child were yours, it has no place here,” Orion said, sneering. “You have an illegitimate child and you didn’t have the decency to make it a son, who would be a passable heir.”

For once, Regulus didn’t want to play by the rules. He had a daughter, a pureblood witch, and she was waiting for him.

“I need to see her.”

3. Real, Real Love

This is a shorter fic I wrote for a wedding fest. It was originally going to be for Remadora, but when I started typing, Tedromeda came out. Specifically, Ted Tonks came out, one of the sweetest characters I've ever written. Ted Tonks is a precious cinnamon bun and I will protect him with my life. Here's another snippet I loved:

She wrote her name in an elegant script, using a pen with emerald ink. Her almost childlike joy made his face hurt from smiling.

“They’re so easy to use—”

“—what have I been saying this whole time?” he said, chuckling. He set his rucksack down and pulled out their Charms textbook. “These quills are ridiculous.”

Andromeda stopped writing for a moment and peered at him, her lips slightly parted.

“Your voice got deeper.” Ted felt himself flush. He didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. She cleared her throat and pulled out her text as well. “Shall we begin with revising the theory of cleaning charms?” she said lightly. “Professor Flitwick said it’s been on the N.E.W.T.s for three years in a row.”

Ted didn’t know why her voice sounded funny or why she was blushing so hard, but he found it enchanting and struggled to keep his gaze away from her.

4. Cariad

Cariad, my big baby. My gigantic, Remadora survive AU that hasn't been updated in months. I miss you. I want to keep writing you. I have more to say. I sometimes wish I stopped around chapter 50 but I want to keep going. I'll finish you when I can. Anyway, here's a passage that I adored writing:

“Dinner!” he blurted at Tonks, startling her. “Let me take you to dinner!”

“What?”

Her nose was pink and puffy. She lifted her hand to tuck limp strands of orange and brown hair away from her blotchy cheeks.

“Dinner,” Remus repeated, formulating an idea. “Once a week…no kids. I want to take you to dinner.”

She stared at him, openmouthed and confused, for a moment.

“Why? Is this – are you trying to get me to take you back?”

“No. I want to start from the beginning,” Remus said, moving toward her. “We never did this right – I never did this right. I want to start over and do it right this time.”

“Remus,” Tonks sighed, shaking her head. “We’ve done this before—”

“We can take our rings off,” he pressed. “We can live apart again and share custody of the children. But please, let me take you out to dinner and do this the right way. Please, Tonks.” Remus took his wedding ring off and handed it to her with a trembling hand.

“Please,” he repeated softly. “Let me do it right this time.”

5. The Nymph of House Black

I love time travel fics. But do you know how HARD it is to find time travel fics with canon couples??? It's always fanon couples! I wanted my darling OTP together, and I wanted time travel, therefore, this happened, and I LOVED writing it. This will always remain one of my all-time favorites. Here's one of my most treasured passages:

“You hate me, Remus. I could see it in your mind.”

“No, Dora, I—”

“—maybe we’ve broken each other’s hearts one too many times,” Dora said softly. “You’ve moved on. I should too, shouldn’t I?”

“Dora, no—”

“—It’s fine,” Dora said, her voice straining, and her mind filled with static. “I’m not going to hurt either of you. I’ll move on. You already have.”

“But—”

“Silencio,” Dora murmured, cutting off Remus’ voice. “It’s too hard to keep doing this, Remus. I’ve hurt you too much. It’s time to let you go.”

Remus’ eyes were welling with tears, and Dora could see him struggling against the Silencing Charm she’d placed on him.

“I’ll give your wand to Fenrir for him to return it to you. I’m sorry our timing never worked,” she whispered. “Just know – everything I did, it was all for you. I’ll always love you, Remus.”

Okay, that's plenty of gushing for now! I'll tag @thecasualauthor18, @midnightstargazer, @merlins-sequined-hotpants, @messrmoonyy and @annabtg

[mariekavanagh]

I love your fics and have just read everything you have written. Do you have any Sirius fic recs because I am now craving them?

I'm so sorry this answer to this ask is coming so long after you sent it. I hope these recs find you at a point where you're still craving them!

Black Mask by @izzythehutt is always a great place to start, as are any of her other Harry Potter fics. Black Mask was definitely one of my main inspirations for my own writing. She's a truly excellent writer.

Pietas by @artemisia-black is also wonderful. I absolutely love her world-building of wizarding Italy, it's a lovely bit of escapism. She too has many other lovely stories which are very enjoyable.

Behind the Veil by @icebluecyanide is a very moving short story. His other stories based around Sirius and Regulus as younger boys are very enjoyable, and were definitely part of what inspired me to write my own shorts of that time period.

Little Boy Lost by @iamfitzwilliamdarcy was one of the very first Black family fics I'd read, and it's very moving. She does an amazing job of portraying Orion as a sympathetic character, and the final scene was a real heart-wrencher. As with all the other authors, her other Harry Potter works are a must-read.

I hope this list was helpful and that it provides you with many hours of happy reading!

[artemisia-black]

Monthly fic recs (February edition)

Here are my Feb Fic recs (January's is here)

I've decided to do a monthly roundup of the fics I've been enjoying as a thank you to the amazing writers who bring me so much joy.

This list is in no order.

The ghost of you, it keeps me awake by @gracelesslady23

James Potter died protecting his family on 31 October 1981. At least that’s the story everybody had been told. Fourteen years after that fateful night, a Ministry raid of uncovers an almost forgotten prisoner detained in the dungeons deep beneath Lestrange Manor. The discovery will send ripples throughout the wizarding world. Or, a reimagining of the Order of Phoenix if James Potter hadn’t died on Halloween night.

2. Circinius by @mariekavanagh

March 1984. Walburga Black sits alone in Grimmauld Place, accompanied only by her ghosts, a broken woman with little left to live for. The House of Black lays in ruins, it's members scattered, awaiting its inevitable demise. Until, one day, a Ministry owl comes tapping at her window, bearing news that offers a last chance to change the course of her life - and the fate of the Black family.

Seizing the opportunity to free her son from Azkaban and secure him the trial he was denied, Walburga quickly finds out that three years in prison has done little to quell Sirius Black's rebellious spirit, and it is soon clear that he is not going to simply follow the plans she has so carefully laid out for him.

As the impending trial approaches, both Sirius and Walburga must grapple with their broken relationship and stormy past - and Sirius himself must decide whether he will seize the chance of the freedom offered to him, or whether he will send himself back to Azkaban for the punishment he is so convinced he deserves.

3. But tonight your hand is steady by @broomsticks

Five times Lily walked away and one time she stayed. Canon compliant.

4. Sore subject by @incalculablepower

The High Priestess, reversed. Trust your intuition. Your true self is waiting; she refuses to be contained for much longer.

5. Mint chocolate by @siriusly-sapphic

While waiting for her sisters in Diagon Alley, Narcissa Black goes to sit at the ice cream parlour where Alice Fortescue happens to be working.

6. Ithildin and Silmë by @blitheringmcgonagall

Seated on a low chair at his father’s left hand, Sirius watched as Orion’s dark mood deepened. His father was angry, he could see the agitation, displeasure, disdain written across his once handsome face. There was naught new in this, his father had long preferred his younger brother, Regulus. Regulus, the dutiful son, who had always bent to his father’s will. Regulus, whose seat at Orion’s right hand now lay empty.

7. Every other freckle by @leogichidaa

After a decade of being everything to each other, Regulus and Evan have their loyalty tested as tensions rise in their final year of Hogwarts.

[leogichidaa]

What made me fascinated with Regulus was his death and yet my favorite stories are tagged "Regulus Black Lives". That certainly says something about me, doesn't it! Anyways. Do you have recommendations of stories like that, where Regulus doesn't die young? Maybe he never got to the cave. Maybe he did but he survived somehow. Maybe there was no Voldemort. (He doesn't need to stay alive, either!)

Haha, Regulus' death is very interesting but I love a good Regulus Lives AU too. I am terrible at rec lists because I have a memory like a sieve, I read things and then forget them, so if anyone else has recs, please add on!

Mistaken for Strangers - self rec, Regulus survives the cave and lives in muggle London until Voldemort's return

Borrowing Against the Past by @yletylyf - Regulus never goes to the cave and he is alive and well for the events of PoA

Dog and Deer Detective Agency by @artemisia-black - This is more Sirius focused, but Regulus is temporarily living on Sirius' couch. Voldemort free AU.

The Wolf at the Door by lusilly - Regulus survives the cave and after the war ends he starts a relationship with Remus.

Lethe by @narcissa-black-supermacy - Voldemort wins and Regulus remains a Death Eater. When the Order is brought down, Regulus keeps James and Sirius prisoners at Grimmauld.

December, 1983 by @unspeakable3 - Regulus lives alternate ending to speaky's Stars Shine Darkly series. Very sweet Regulus/OC Christmas related fic

[ladiesofhpfest]

Introducing ✨Friday Fic Recs✨

The Ladies of HP fest/server is happy to announce weekly fic recs from now until next year's fest. Every Friday, we will highlight 5-10 female-centric fics! This week, the recs come from your mods, @celestemagnoliathewriter, @artemisia-black, and @merlins-sequined-hotpants.

Going forward, we would love to receive recs in the ask box or in the rec channel on our Discord server. Almost any fic that is female-centric is welcome (exception: fics that feature explicit underage sexual content). We look forward to sharing more recs with you!

Fic Recs for Friday the 13th of October, including part of the summary from the author:

We've Grown Up (but still haven't changed) by @thecasualauthor18. Leading ladies: Black sisters, Andromeda POV. T, 2.2k words. Summary: Andromeda Black Tonks receives a letter from Narcissa, and against her better judgement goes to meet her.

Parvati by @sleepstxtic. Leading lady: Parvati Patil. G, 634 words. Summary: “Like you and appa?” you ask, propping yourself up on the kitchen counter and crossing your legs in anticipation. Your mother’s stories are always the best.

In the Service of Others by @bellmel. Leading lady: Molly Weasley. G, 4.7k words. Molly is not one to sit idle. It isn’t in her nature. She likes being busy, and as the last of her children leave for Hogwarts, Molly never even entertains the idea of staying at home with no company but her own. She needs a job.

Ariadne by @ashesandhackles. Leading lady: Cho Chang. G, 1.1k words. Summary: Exploring Cho's feelings for Harry in wake of her grief for Cedric's death, with symbolism from myth of Ariadne, Theseus and the Minotaur. A surrealistic character study.

Kiss Each Other Clean by @ronsgirlfriday-blog. Leading lady: Hermione Granger. T, 4.3k words. Summary: The war is over and all Hermione wants is to wash it all off of her.

Standing Up by @isidar-mithrim. Leading lady: Minerva McGonagall. G, 4.9k words. Summary: Minerva is powerless in front of Carrows’ tortures, painfully aware there’s only one way to protect her students: don’t protect them. It will be her own students to prove her that hope isn’t lost yet.

stolen glances, stolen cauldrons by @lanaturnergetup. Leading lady: Madam Rosmerta. M, 3k words. Summary: As with most bad experiences in her life, Madam Rosmerta would find that her affair with Mundungus ‘Dung’ Fletcher started out with too much to drink. 

Power by @alohaemora. Leading lady: Angelina Johnson. G, 1.9k words. Summary: "Our hair is power, Angie, it's our history. It tells the world who we are."

If you've got recs for us, drop by the ask box or the rec channel on our Discord server!

[waxwing-saint]

5 books and 5 fics

@lumosatnight, I may have tweaked your tag game, but I’m just as curious about people’s fic choices as I am their book choices. (consider yourself tagged for your 5 fic picks)

Books

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. It’s a classic for a reason. I read it probably too young and it jump-started my lifelong obsession with both Agatha Christie and isolated closed-circle mysteries.

If Not Winter fragments of Sappho translated by Anne Carson. Listen, I am a renowned sapphist. I am a sapphist in the deep aching longing kind of way, in the fleeting touches kind of way, in the openly watching each other across a crowded room kind of way. Anne Carson understands this vibe in a way no other Sappho translator does.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado. I love short stories, but the problem with short story collections is that there’s always one or two bangers and the rest are mid. All of these are bangers. While it’s true that some are slightly less bangery than others, every short story in this collection is incredible, haunting, painfully well-written. Like I just don’t have words for how good it is and I’ve been trying to find the words since the day I started reading it.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. I see people who read this book in like three hours and I am confused and disturbed. This is not a long book, but I don’t know how to talk to anyone who can manage this book in under a month. The current record in my friend group is 29 days, which is frankly impressive. Reading this book is a lot like trying to look at an eldritch being—it is equal parts intoxicating and dismantling; the prose is so painfully beautiful, the grief and frustration so true to life, that you have to put it down after a few pages. And that’s the story of how it took me two months to read a 240 page book.

Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. Is it cheating to include a short story? Who knows, I’m making the rules. This is my favorite short story of all time, and it is available in a collection with many other decent short stories (big props to Hell is the Absence of God) but none of them come close to this one, so much so that including the collection to rec this story feels disingenuous. There is something so special about a piece of art being created perfectly in the perfect medium. Would The Lament for Icarus slap so hard if it wasn’t a painting, but a novel? Could Artemisia Gentileschi have captured Judith fucking wrecking Holofernes in a gif? Both would be beautiful and poignant still, but it wouldn’t be the same. Story of Your Life needs the short story medium to do what it does best. Arrival was a good movie, but it lacked so much of the nuance found in the source material. (For further reading, please see the stage play The Last Five Years)

Fics

Spindle, Spire by @summerlightning. I don’t know why this is such a hard sell, maybe it’s the fandom or the fact it’s only available on tumblr, but of all the fics I rec this is the one the fewest people check out. Listen to the words coming out of my mouth: this. is. the. best. fic. i. have. ever. read. I would never fuck with you on this. You don’t need to know anything about the fandom or characters, leave this list, go read it (and then hmu so we can scream about it). I reread this fic at least twice a year. The aesthetic alone is enough to send me to an untimely demise. It is gritty, it is fucking gross, it is undeniably beautiful, it is a masterclass in writing with a strong narrative voice. There are pieces of this that haunt me to this day (“There’s another breakroom but it’s a scummy pond, mostly, and the cabinets fell off the walls long ago and rest in the water now like bloated wooden alligators with rusty hinges for teeth.”) shut up don’t fucking talk to me.

Watchers by a whole mess of incredible people. The Buffy spin off that was at times better than Buffy itself. And holy shit I go to this site all the time to read old episodes or feel nostalgic and shit and when I went to grab the link for this post I saw they’re planning new content. Fucking catch me screaming lads. Will be monitoring this sitchiation closely.

Ballads by @lipzlipzlipz. If we’ve spoken for more than forty-five seconds I’ve already reced this series to you(and I’ve also already told you to read it in post order not chronological order). Here I am recing it again and until my dying breath. Sometimes people make indulgent mistakes and then continue to make the same indulgent mistakes as they destroy themselves and all of their loved ones for one more chance to make that mistake all over again. Is it busted and bloody heartbreak? It is. Is it also the realest tragedy I’ve ever seen? It sure fuckin is babes.

Personal Jesus by @perfectly--random. This is the best fic I read last year, period, end of fucking sentence. It is a fic I think where it’s better to go into blind, so I’m not going to say anymore, but please someone come talk to me about this I’m dying.

Of Blood & Carnations by @rice-and-beans. This is the best fic I’ve read this year, period, end of fucking sentence. I’ve read a lot of excellent fics this year but I cannot imagine a world in which 2024 comes and this isn’t still the best fic I read this year. It’s so good that I can’t breathe when I think about it. It’s giving you Prometheus Bound and that’s all I’ll say about it because it’s another fic you should go into blind but take off the blindfold and peep the tags fist babes because she’s a doozy and you shouldn’t be unprepared. All that to say, beans cannot miss, hit up that author page and read them all, every one is a banger. This is the juice. This is the mineral the girlies crave.

Now. I limited my fics to completed works but if I hadn’t I’d have been struggling to fit in Danse Avec la Vie and Of Gods, Kings, and Men both by @sosh022, who I know can, in fact, finish a fic (contrary to popular opinion) and I can’t wait to one day have a headache fitting both of them into a list not unlike this one.

As per tag game rules I am required by law to offer up sacrifices to the altar so please tell your mothers not to draw me a bath only to stab me in the neck (I had a war to win). @sosh022 @lipzlipzlipz @perfectly--random @flyingpoptart @rachelc978 @drabsyo @terra-wisp actually you know what anyone. If you see this on your dash, consider yourself tagged m8 😤

[merlinsbudgiesmugglers]

Fic Author Self Rec

Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers ❤️

Thanks for the tag @charmsandtealeaves!

I've actually been feeling a bit blah about my writing lately, so this was really great to go and revisit my fics!

1. Decisions

Jily - Rated T - 1676 Words

One night in the middle of a war when it doesn't seem quite so hopeless.

This was one of the first fics I wrote after a fifteen year hiatus. It's cheesy and filled with mistakes but I love it.

2. A Bit of Fun

Tedromeda - Rated M - 1446 Words

"His eyes are bright, his hair sticking up in the back from their earlier activities. Andromeda runs a hand through it, and still breathless from laughing, she leans down to kiss him. She thinks she could stay like this forever, in his little flat, happily hidden away from the world." A small moment, near the beginning of Ted and Andromeda's relationship.

I honestly think this is my favourite Tedromeda fic, and it does make me a bit sad that it doesn't seem to be very popular. I love Ted and Andromeda here, that they can't keep their hands to themselves, and it's the first time I have Andromeda considering the possibility that she might want more with Ted.

3. Desperation

Tedromeda - Rated E - 2789 Words

When Andromeda finally gets the news that she's been dreading for nearly two years, there's only one person she wants to see

My first Smut! Although honestly, the smut is my least favourite part of this fic (and not because I think it's bad) there's just so many bits of this fic I love. I love the way Andromeda keeps calm around her father, but then she breaks the moment she's alone, how it's Ted that she needs, how it's the first time we see that Ted might be just as deep as she is.

And yes, I copied the last kiss from New Girl, but that is the best kiss ever recorded for TV and I'm going to shamelessly steal it for my favourite couple.

4. The Potter-Granger-Weasley Pool Party Extravaganza

General - Rated T - 2754 Words

There are times in life when everything falls into place with ease and perfection. The planning, the timing, the execution all come together neatly to produce a perfect weekend. This was not one of those times.

Considering that I seriously struggled with writing this fic and the prompts I was given for the Summer Soiree, I adore how it turned out. It is fully inspired by Derry Girls and that scene in Gilmore Girls where Jess and Dean get into a fight and go through a window. I love exploring the cousin dynamics, and really used experiences with my own cousins for that, plus I loved introducing a bit of Slytherin Lily.

5. She Was Not Wise Yet

Lily Luna/OC - Rated G - 1220 Words

Lily stood up triumphantly and opened the door, throwing her quidditch bag inside. She picked up her bag and with a quick check to make sure no neighbours were about and a wave of her wand, the papers she had dropped flew into her arms. Starting to feel a little bit more put together, she walked into the flat, only to have the door handle catch on her sleeve. ‘Fuck!’ (Or Lily Luna has a bad day)

Once again with the cousin dynamics. I loved exploring Lily Luna as a bit older, trying to keep her life together but also a bit of a mess. She's in her twenties and already onto her second career and suddenly here comes the boy she had complicated feelings for at school.

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Ok this ended up so much longer than I thought, but it was great to revisit my fics!

Tagging: @celestemagnoliathewriter @constitutionalweasleymonarchy @artemisia-black @startanewdream @turanga4

[annabtg]

Do you have any recs for Sirius fics?

Hi there, anon!

While I love (LOVE) Sirius, my reading is mostly Jily-centric with him as a side character, so I don't have much in the way of recs, but:

If you're interested in my own work, my most Sirius-centric fics so far are Afterlife: Brother (drabble) and My Best Friend's Girl (Sirius/Lily to Jily, M, 12k words).

If you're interested in Sirius/Lily explicit fic (we went down the AO3 tag so you don't have to :p) the best ones I've found are Nice Day For A White Wedding by Snegurochka and But I Want It Too Much by yotsuya21.

If you're looking for Wolfstar and general Marauders fic, @blitheringmcgonagall writes and should be able to give you recommendations. Also @soloorganaas is a huge Wolfstar and Sirius lover, and @theresthesnitch does Wolfstar and other Marauder ships.

@siriuslychessi can help you out with Blackinnon.

@artemisia-black should have Black family stuff for you.

And lastly, keep an eye out for @siriusblackfest - posting starts December 1st and there should be some good stuff there! I've written a story for it too ;)

Have fun reading! :)