#by Annerb on Ao3

[mdzsao3]

everyone is on the struggle bus but doing their best

[ao3 link]

[kay-elle-cee]

'Tis the Season for fic recs! I know I posted a bunch this month for the @hprecfest (which you can find here!) but in keeping with tradition (aka I did this last year), I wanted to share 23 fics I loved this year. (This is in no way a comprehensive list, and I'm not reccing fics I rec'd last year—see the end of this post for more details.)

I would love to see YOUR year-end fic recs, so consider yourselves tagged if you see this!

ONESHOTS When The Skies Are Grey by @athenasparrow To Always Be Kind and True by @clare-with-no-i thorns, in amber by decemberista (not Jily) I'll Be There For You by @midnightstargazer what we had become (before we ever had begun) by @takearisk-ao3

MULTICHAPTER Found Tonight by @alittlebitofeverything23 Nom De Plume by @annabtg The Changeling by annerb (not Jily) made weak by time and fate, but strong in will by Dialux Choose Your Own (sexy) Adventure* by @ghostofbambifanfiction In Love and War* by Icepen love, james* by @isahorcrux Dead To Me* by @jamesunderwater Unlike a Sister by Madharmony (not Jily) Don't Look Back In Anger by @mppmaraudergirl and @possessingtheproperspirit Kindly Stopped for Me* by @nodirectionhome-ao3 The song remains the same* by @startanewdream Never Quite Awake by @sunshinemarauder Who Knows Who Cares by @the-dream-team Between the Desire and the Spasm* by @uncertainwallflower

SERIES Harry Potter Everyone Lives AU by @aidanchaser Call Me By Name Universe by @charmsandtealeaves Seasons by @suzyq31 (not Jily)

*Notes a WIP

I think this was harder than last year. I've read so many incredible fics this year (over 230 fics from 77 different authors, according to my tracker), but I've cursed myself to sticking with 23 for the ~vibes~. If you want more, just drop a 📖 in my ask box and I'll reply with another title! Happy New Year to you all!

[wizardingworldlibrary]

Getting Together (2) Masterlist

part one

A Hag, a Hex, a Tale of Redemption (ao3) - aibidil draco/harry E, 43k

Summary: A fuck-or-die fairytale in which Draco Malfoy lives a despicable and unapologetic life — that is, until he's cursed to die unless he can fall in love with and fuck Harry Potter.

Annoyance (ao3) - TheMightyFlynn angelina/fred G, 1k

Summary: He was an annoyance and she didn't know why she liked him. But she really did.

A Weasel in the Hamptons (ao3) - peachpety draco/ron E, 15k

Summary: When Ron heads to the Hamptons for Hermione’s engagement celebration, it’s been 10 years since he’s seen his friends. At 38, he’s content to travel the world, unfettered and carefree, allowing his wanderlust to guide him from one photojournalism assignment to the next. He arrives at Blaise’s posh beach estate ready to catch up with old friends, kick back poolside with a beer, and have some fun in the sun. What could possibly disrupt his weekend?

Enter Draco Malfoy—the gorgeous prat who handles a stick shift with ease, speaks French, and surfs like a Seeker flies.

And who just may be the anchor Ron isn’t aware he needs.

Dreaming Skies (ao3) - sweet_s0rr0w, tackytiger draco/ron E, 20k

Summary: Draco's life is going nowhere, so when Charlie Weasley offers him a job out on his reserve, Draco doesn't think twice before booking a Portkey. After all, it's not as if he has many other options. But when he arrives in Romania, he realises that nothing is quite what he expected…

(a story about dragons and baking, friendship and little kindnesses, putting down new roots and falling in love)

falling into place (ao3) - charmingwillow james/lily T, 14k

Summary: Lily overhears something that maybe she shouldn't have.. things sort of happen from there.

Falling like a Snowflake (ao3) - GhostIsReading marcus/harry T, 2k

Summary: Marcus Flint gives Harry a box of chocolates unaware that they are laced with a potion.

Five Times Dean and Seamus Don't Go For It, and One Time They Do (ao3) - starkidpatronus seamus/dean T, 5k

Summary: “Hard to sit here and be close to you, and not kiss you.” -- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Dean & Seamus, throughout the years, tortured by a series of almost moments.

for a pessimist, i'm pretty optimistic (ao3) - Annerb harry/ginny T, 6k

Summary: Ginny and Harry are forced to share a bed. Of course everything just gets more out of hand from there.

Here Now, Gone Yesterday (or Back To The Future) (ao3) - nerakrose teddy/james, sirius/remus G, 21k

Summary: Teddy and James are in the middle of breaking up when Remus and Sirius - teenaged, travellers from the past - drop into their life.

Holidate (ao3) - danpuff draco/ron, pansy/ginny T, 11k

Summary: Draco and Ginny aren't ready to come out, so they decide to "date" for the holiday.

It's Friday (I'm in Love) (ao3) - punk_rock_yuppie draco/harry, hermione/ron, hannah/neville E, 16k

Summary: At first, Draco only hangs out with them on Fridays after work; then he starts shagging Potter after pub nights. Then all the rest of the gang tries to befriend Draco and even worse, Potter tries to date him. It’s an absolute disaster, if you ask Draco.

Or, Draco and Harry fall in love over the course of several Fridays and some other days of the week.

Kiss (ao3) - xErised draco/harry T, 10k

Summary: For the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, it's not Ron that Harry rescues from the Great Lake, but Draco Malfoy. Hogwarts-era.

Like a Hero (ao3) - aibidil harry/ginny T, 1k

Summary: Perpetually stuck on the periphery of Harry's inner circle, Neville has always felt like an onlooker. But when Harry leaves and war comes to Hogwarts, it's up to Neville—and Ginny—to redefine what a hero looks like.

Patronus Material (ao3) - OgdensOldFirewhiskey james/lily T, 8k

Summary: Well, this is a bit grim, isn’t it? Lily thought. She couldn’t think of a single happy memory. Was her life truly this mundane?

Lily has trouble conjuring a Patronus until she thinks about a spectacled idiot with messy black hair. Have some seventh-year, canon-compliant, Jily.

Strength of Heart (ao3) - Kicon seamus/dean, lavender/parvati T, 51k

Summary: A coming of age story that follows Seamus Finnigan through his years at Hogwarts as he becomes the man he was always meant to be. He'll have to face transphobia, bullying, and his own darkest fears, but lifelong love and friendship may just be waiting for him at the end of it.

Sugarplum (ao3) - mallstars draco/harry E, 27k

Summary: The air crackled as it busied itself shifting around molecules, making way for a hefty slab of magic, and then there it was: the Knight Bus, squeezed neatly into a pocket of Wizarding space among stagnant Muggle buses, vibrant violet amidst a string of cherry red. The door sprang open.

"Draco," said Potter, a little breathless, a little cheerful. He smelled of coconut lotion, Cockroach Clusters and a sloppy ironing charm. Lifting one hand off the steering wheel, Potter gave a small wave. He wore gloves. Fingerless, the leather black against the sunlight. Leather. In August.

Testing. One, Two...Three? (ao3) - teh_kris_eh hermione/fred T, 4k

Summary: Hermione agrees to help with product testing for one of Fred and George's newest creations. Unsurprisingly, things don't go quite as planned...

(Un)wanted (ao3) - aibidil draco/harry E, 36k

Summary: Ginny's pregnant, then she's not and Harry's single. Harry, again with no family, doesn't know what to do with this turn of events, or how to find a new life—post-war, post-Ginny, post-abortion—in which he belongs. He doesn't expect that life to include dancing to the Backstreet Boys with Hermione and Draco Malfoy. A story of finding belonging in the unexpected.

[ekaterin1701]

When I got back into SG1 last year and started reading fanfic again, I was delighted to discover that you could download stories from AO3 in various formats (including ePub so I can have stories saved on my phone!). I’ve downloaded a lot of stories since then, but recently realised that I probably hadn’t commented or bookmarked some of them at the time, especially the earlier downloads, so I’ve been going through them in the past week or so and writing comments on any I’ve missed.

It feels a little weird as some of the stories are from several years ago, and the writers are no longer active/ writing for a different fandom, so I wonder if they’ll be surprised to get these comments. I hope they appreciate that someone is enjoying their stories several year later.

The earliest stories are dated 2006 and 2007 (presumably back-dated as AO3 wasn’t set up until 2008-09).

It’s also made me think about authors who have moved their works from FFN to AO3. I’ve found several of them while going through the Gateworld fic recs thread (by links to FFN stories where I recognise the author from AO3).

There are three authors like this that I’ve revisited while going through my downloaded stories - Annerb, Rachel500, and MissAnnThropic. Both Annerb and Rachel500 seem to have transferred most/ all of their stories to AO3 (they’ve both written a lot, so it’s hard to tell!), but Miss AnnThropic, interestingly, hasn’t - they comment in their first AO3 story that they’ve become back to writing SG1 fic after several years, but none of their earlier stories from FFN have been moved to AO3. Makes me wonder why?

Anyway, I shall continue going through my downloaded stories and leaving comments where I’d missed them out before. I’m enjoying re-reading them all 😊

[siriouslytired]

Feedback fest 2024 🌻

Well RIP to my bookmarks because I just noticed that so many of my favourite fics have been deleted or made anonymous/put in a collection. Thought it would be fun to do this anyway.

Also apparently I managed to post this when it wasn't done (can you tell technology doesn't like me?) And for some reason I couldn't edit the original post (and what's up with that??). So uh, if anyone had liked the first post I deleted it because I got annoyed.

All fics on the list can be found on AO3

A Year In Toussaint by astolat

The Witcher; Rated E; Geralt of Rivia/Emhyr var Emreis

"[...] - and found himself spilling the whole sob story of his success to Emhyr, who actually broke and laughed out loud when Geralt got to the racehorses."

One of my comfort fics, will read it for a multitude of reasons but mostly just because it's so well-written and engaging (which is just all of astolat's fics really)

Hunger and Appetite by thegoodbutter

Shadow & Bone; Rated E; Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov; Modern AU

I couldn't actually tell you how many times I've read this, it's just SO GOOD. And the food descriptions are just fantastic, makes me want to cook up a storm/start baking something even though I hate doing the dishes afterwards.

The Stars Don’t Shine, They Burn by Sarcasmismydefaultmode

Shadow & Bone/The Witcher; Rated E; Alina Starkov/Emhyr var Emreis; Second Best AU

Read it. Do it. It's so fucking good. I usually don't read crossovers anymore but I couldn’t resist this one and it was so worth it. It blends the two worlds so well while making sure that the edges are obvious enough that you can still tell which parts came from what canon.

Amazing Grace (series) by Druid Moon

Marvel Cinematic Universe; Darcy Lewis/Clint Barton; Many references to different forms of crafts

A relic from when I mostly read MCU fics that I return to again and again and again. Super cosy, slightly sad, incredibly well-written, one of those fics that just draws you in once you start reading it.

coronas of wolf-teeth and rivers by Dialux

A Song of Ice and Fire; Not Rated; Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark; AU; Robert dies at the Trident, Ned dies at the Tower of Joy, Catelyn becomes Queen of Westeros

I remember reading the summary and basically attacking my phone screen to open the fic. It ties itself together so neatly from the premise and the way Catelyn is written is just fantastic.

Diplomatic Relations by KrazzeeAJ1701

Star Trek; Rated M; James T Kirk/Sybok; AU, Female James T. Kirk

Listen, I had a phase where I mostly read gender swap and I found some real gems - this being one of them. I don't re-read it as often as I should but every time I do I remember how much I like it and how fantastic the writing is. The set-up just makes sense and the progression of the story makes you want to keep reading forever.

the ghosts won't matter because we'll hide in sin by soapboxblues

A Song of Ice and Fire; Jaime Lannister/Lyanna Stark; AU

A cute little AU where Lyanna survives the Tower of Joy and is subsequently turned into a political pawn etc etc. Incredibly well-written and the pieces just fit together so well.

The Debt of Time by ShayaLonnie

Harry Potter; Rated E; Sirius Black/Hermione Granger; AU, Time Travel, Soul Bond

I must have read this at least 15 times by now. It just works so well, you know?

For One Last Day by fideliant

The Hobbit; General Audience; Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield; AU

"The things we don't do for love." It's so bittersweet and lovely and all those wonderful things that make me want to smile and cry at the same time. Sort of chances-not-taken and now we're old wrapped up in this little moment that fits so well into the canon of LOTR.

Eurybia by Annerb

Pirates of the Caribbean; Rated T; Elizabeth Swan/Will Turner; Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth Swan; AU

"A love story. Elizabeth Swan and the sea." Read it. Just do it. It's so so so good. And it's barely 1200 words so you can read it and then spend an hour contemplating what you just read and still have time to do other things.

[thedistantdusk]

Hii!! Just wanted to let you know I loved your fanfic ‘Noticing’ on AO3. You are very talented! Just wondering if there are some other Ginny/Harry fanfics you recommend? Which ones are your favorites?

This is so very kind, thank you ❤️

I don’t have time for much fic these days, but some of my favorite authors are Annerb, Jenorama, and Femmenerd.

Hope that helps! 😄

[a-suspicious-lack-of-bagel]

good Afternoon i have been attempting to not liveblog my fic reading with fairly good success so far but i have Comments.

currently reading: 'Meanwhile, at the Hippogriff and Thestral..' by annerb on AO3; in the bonus materials for the Changeling and Armistice series which y'all should read.

ginny is SUCH A GIRLBOSS how did it take her friends to realise what a terrifying power couple hinny make?? like. duh bitches????

[narukoibito]

do you have any female Ocs that you particularly like?

Yes of course!

Smita, Antonia, Nicola, and all the Parlor Girls from @annerbhp's The Changeling / The Armistice Series. I love all of annerb's OCs — they are so wonderfully fleshed out and independent, wonderful, who have lives outside of Ginny and Harry's lives.

Jacqui Charlton from Northumbrian's Strangers at Drackshaugh for being a wonderful Muggle who grows as she develops a relationship with the mysterious Potters who just moved into town.

Meg from @takearisk-ao3's The Path from You because who can't relate to a poor Hufflepuff who had a crush on Harry Potter.

Leta in @ashotofogdensoldfirewhiskey's Happily Impervious because she doesn't take the easy road, and instead is a better friend.

I'm sure there are many more I'm missing, but those are a few that come to mind!

[browneyesandhair]

Hey! It's ya girl! April Edition

I got no chill and a large obsession with a lot of things. So this year, I'm tracking it! Okay, so this year, is the year of recs! (you may have seen some of my posts, but I also have an extensive queue, so maybe not (check out the #recs on my page)). Running a little behind (it's already June, oops!)

Anyways, I've created a collection for this year overall and then also for each month! Let's check out April's stats -

Works read (&finished): 112

Fandoms (top 8):

1 - Bridgerton: 33

2 - Harry Potter: 28

3 - The Vampire Diaries: 16

4 - Young Justice: 15

5 - Les Miserables: 13

6 - Criminal Minds: 2

7 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: 1

8- Merlin: 1

The rest didn't make the first drop down section of AO3, so oh well! Let's check in on relationships (top 8):

1 - Polin: 33

2 - Klaroline: 16

3 - Spitfire: 14

4- Enjolras/Eponine: 13

5 - Harmony: 9

6 - Hinny: 5

7 - Roy Harper/Jade Nguyen: 4

8 - Dick Grayson/Zatanna Zatara: 2

Quite a few recs that were reread/added to the list this month:

Harry Potter:

The Changeling by Annerb

Summary:

Ginny is sorted into Slytherin. It takes her seven years to figure out why.

Sequels also read: pick it up, pick it all up and start again, we can still be, who we said we were, and in my head we do everything right

Six Pomegranate Seeds by Seselt

Summary:

At the end, something happened. Hermione clutches at one fraying thread, uncertain whether she is Arachne or Persephone. What she does know is that she will keep fighting to protect her friends even if she must walk a dark path.

Sequels also read: Bouquet of Asphodels

Forever Means Forever by cocoartist

Summary:

If she ever saw Unspeakable Number 37 again she would kill him with her bare hands: Hermione's research into the Veil has an unexpected side-effect. COMPLETE.

Les Mis:

It Is Not a Word Spoken by CrazyAce_n_PokerFace

Summary:

*…I don't understand. You can't possibly be suggesting you were seriously trying to sext me.* She stares at his words and exhales slowly before typing, *And if I was…?* É/E Modern AU. The long-awaited sexting fic. Very NSFW. Dedicated to the wonderful samthenardier as a birthday gift. Title taken from the lovely poem "It Is Not a Word" by Sara Teasdale.

Merlin:

Radioman by Footloose

Summary:

The reason SAS Captain Arthur Pendragon can't keep a communications specialist in Team Excalibur because none of them are good enough. And then Lieutenant Merlin Emrys gets assigned to his squad, and Arthur does everything he can to prove that Merlin isn't good enough, either. Except he is.

Atla:

Returned for a Better Try (to Make a Better Time) by atypicalhypocrite

Summary:

The Fire Lord’s blast is sharp and thorough. Still on his knees before his father, a thirteen year old dies instantly. Another Zuko, once teacher to the avatar and a Fire Lord himself, jolts into being in his place, and deals with the consequences. Timeline preservation nothing, he’s going to be a better Fire Lord this time, and start sooner.

Star Trek:

Ten Degrees Below Zero by kianspo

Summary:

After a serious incident aboard a starship, Commander Spock is demoted and transferred to a remote base where he must now serve with other "undesirables." He adjusts to his new rank and duties, and, while the future does look bleak, he is not ready to give up on himself or Starfleet yet. There is work to be done and hope to be found, especially as he begins to get to know his new colleagues, particularly one intriguing engineering officer James Kirk...

The Vampire Diaries:

At Horizon's Edge by Cupcakemolotov

Summary:

Sometimes when a girl goes on a shopping trip to pick up a new pair of boots at the local, and somewhat hostile, human space station, she accidentally aids and abets a prison break instead. What happens in the black really doesn't stay in the black.

The Umbrella Academy:

broken still you breathe (breathe, breathe, just breathe) by Eternal_Peace_is_Overrated

Summary:

“He’s not coming,” Luther says impatiently. “Let's just get this over with.” “Who’s not coming?” The voice sounds behind them suddenly, and all of them startle and whip around in synchronization. “Klaus,” Luther hears himself say distantly. “You’re…here.” Four tilts his head, bringing his hand to his lips and inhaling deeply around the cigarette dangling between his fingers. When he exhales, the smoke curls around his head like a halo before drifting into the air. “Yeah, well, I would’ve gotten here sooner,” Four says around the cigarette. “But I just really didn’t want to.” *** Number Four shows up to the funeral three hours late with an iced latte in one hand and a cigarette dangling from the other. Or; Klaus fled the Academy the day they turned eighteen. He never looked back. Ten years later, their father dies. Number Four returns. And none of them quite know what to do with this new version of their black sheep brother. AKA: Klaus single-handedly stops the apocalypse. It really wasn't that hard, so if everyone could stop looking at him like that, that would be great, thanks.

Bridgerton:

Plenty Far To Fall by useyourtelescope

Summary:

When financial troubles mean third-son Colin Bridgerton must cease his yearly travels and find employment instead, he has difficulty finding something suitable. Until he learns of a unique position being offered by the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown.

Alright, that's all folks (mostly), for fun, here are the top 8 additional tags from the stories that I read in April:

AU - Modern Setting: 24

AU: 16

Smut: 14

Fluff: 10

Friends to Lovers: 10

AU - Canon Divergence: 9

Angst: 8

Explicit Sexual Content: 7

And, that's all folks (for real this time)!

[annerbhp]

hey annerb!! I remember reading a fic of yours once set after a quiddich gala?? I think it was smut although I'm not completely sure. I can't seem to find it. love your work!

Perhaps you mean this post. I posted the original fic to my AO3, but I think the smutty sequel only exists on tumblr.

[ekaterin1701]

Signal boosting!

I don’t remember a fic just about these two alternates. The only thing that comes to mind is a story called ‘Five Ways Sam Carter Got Pregnant’ by Annerb on AO3, where they’re one of the five stories.

It was great to see that without military regulations in the way it took Sam and Jack practically two days to sort things out.

[wizardingworldlibrary]

Fic Titles With Lyrics (2) Masterlist

part one

an inch away from more than just friends (ao3) - itsprettyunfortunate regulus/james, barty jr/evan, sirius/remus M, 54k

Summary: Three almost-couples, three sets of stubborn idiots, and one question: can they get their acts together before their friends lose their minds? With love, miscommunication, and a lot of overthinking flying around, nobody said falling for your crush would be simple—or sane. Love is messy—but the group chats are messier.

baby, you're a firework (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor sirius/james G, 240

Summary: It's cold out, but Sirius isn't letting that stop him from enjoying his date night with James.

Call me baby (I'll be on the way) (ao3) - lumosatnight neville/blaise E, 6k

Summary: “Hey guys, thanks for coming tonight. Really appreciate it. Snaps all around. So, as you all know, Neville’s been having a rough time lately. Blaise still hasn’t shown him his soulmark, and there’s been how many opportunities now? — Right, right. Exactly, Hermione. That’s what I said! — So, here’s the deal. Since Neville can’t seem to do it himself, we’re gonna help him. — No, Ron, we cannot just vanish all of Blaise’s clothes. — I have a plan.”

Or, Neville still hasn’t seen his fuck buddy’s soulmark, he’s starting to catch feelings, and it’s becoming a bit of a problem.

'cause i love the way you wake me up (ao3) - raquians hermione/fred T, 5k

Summary: Hermione stares up at the menu boards. Three separated sections stare back at her. Wakeful. Wacky. Wild.

Her eyes trace first and foremost under wakeful, because that’s what she needs—she’s exhausted and she’s not sure she can make it through her 12 hour shift at A&E if she doesn’t get something in her. The text, chalked on the board in colorful handwriting, is hard to focus on this early in the morning. There are so many choices, so many options that she’s never heard of, she’s feeling a bit—

“Overwhelmed?” the barista asks with a grin.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love (ao3) - Original Dessie (Dessie) sirius/remus G, 23k

Summary: Five friends reflect on love, life, and the state of their socks, as two of their number grow to realise that sometimes friendship just isn’t enough…

for a pessimist, i’m pretty optimistic (ao3) - Annerb harry/ginny T, 6k

Summary: Ginny and Harry are forced to share a bed. Of course everything just gets more out of hand from there.

i ain't afraid of no ghosts (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor remus/james, sirius/lily G, 3k

Summary: James Potter is easily scared, and he hates being scared. So, of course, Halloween is his least favorite holiday. He's less than thrilled when his boyfriend suggests that he join him and their group of friends at an actual haunted house.

I Can See You (ao3) - peaceinpanem regulus/james, sirius/remus, draco/harry T, 21k

Summary: When James and Regulus made a pact to marry each other if they were both single at thirty, it seemed like a distant possibility.

But as life takes unexpected turns, James finds himself divorced, reminiscing about their childhood promise.

With Harry gone to school and Sirius and Remus pursuing parenthood, James wonders if Regulus is still single and if their long-forgotten vow can be reignited.

i am not afraid to keep on living (ao3) - GwenLovesReggie regulus/james T, 2k

Summary: Regulus has had feelings for James for awhile, but he has always kept them a secret due to his loyalty to the Dark Lord. However, he recently discovered that James felt the same way, and started dating him. But what will happen when Lord Voldemort himself finds out who his youngest Death Eater is dating?

In silent screams, in wildest dreams. (ao3) - Bleedinghearts23 remus/james T, 7k

Summary: It's the next full moon after the prank. James is antsy to do it without Sirius, Remus is acting cagey, Pete is in detention.

The long drawn out confrontation between James and Remus, right before the transformation. Feelings are unveiled, feelings are buried. Some wounds opened up, some healed.

I Roll, and I Roll, ‘til I Change My Luck (ao3) - theweightofmywords draco/harry E, 8k

Summary: “Vegas isn’t too bad,” Theo grinned, “if you use magic to win.”

“This should be fun, Potter,” Draco murmured, leaning his head close to Harry’s ear right as Harry took a gulp from his pint. Harry could feel the heat from his lips, and he wondered how much warmer it would feel with Draco’s lips against his ears, his neck…

In this story, Harry, Draco, and their motley crew of Slytherins and Gryffindors, take on Las Vegas.

If the whole world was watching I’d still dance with you (ao3) - sunflowerim sirius/remus, james/lily G, 2k

Summary: Having come close to losing everything in the Wizarding war, Sirius reflects on what he wants most in his life and the answer is always clear - Remus.

it's you and me (that's my whole world) (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor scorpius/hugo, hermione/ron, harry/ginny T, 8k

Summary: Scorpius and Hugo have been secretly, dating for quite some time now. When Hugo suggests they finally come out to their families, Scorpius agrees. However, things don't exactly go to plan when his father finds out.

i want to teach you a lesson (in the worst kind of way) (ao3) - nympheral regulus/james E, 6k

Summary: Regulus and James get snowed in on Christmas Eve. They get creative in the kitchen.

I was just an only child of the universe (ao3) - socolormecurious james/lily T, 3k

Summary: Lily wasn’t truly worried about her soulmark until James stopped asking her out.

mosaic broken hearts (ao3) - bellairestrella hermione/harry T, 2k

Summary: (in which Hermione and Harry, who are NOT best friends, are partnered together for a project and discover that first impressions can fool anyone - even them)

take a sip of my secret potion (ao3) - neozeka draco/harry T, 981

Summary: Harry gets doused with a potion meant to make him fall in love with the first person he sees

naturally, it's Draco

'tis the damn season (ao3) - moonymoment sirius/remus T, 71k

Summary: “Where are you going?”

Remus turns. Sirius looks delightful; wine-flush and December drizzle painting his pale, pretty face the deepest carmine red. His spindly hands are twiddling at his front, as if he doesn’t know quite what to do with them. He sniffs, and exhales corporeal ice that sends a shiver running down Remus’ spine. He’s not sure if it’s from the cold or the alcohol or… something else.

and it always leads to you, and my hometown

[slightly-ethereal]

Underrated trope is character A thinking character B is cold/closed off at first, but as they get closer coming to rely on it and recognise it as character B just being steady and Character A eventually finds it comforting

[a-suspicious-lack-of-bagel]

i am once again reading The Changeling by annerb over on AO3. it is excellent. would highly suggest checking it out here.

[onceuponaswanqueen]

Reading stats for 2023 & favorite reads of the year - Fanfiction Editon

This is the first year I have tracked my fanfiction reading, which I started in June, which means it’s not one 100% but I think still pretty good due to the fact that I mostly read on ao3 and the history feature is great! This is because I discovered the fanfiction challenge! And I am looking forward to the 2023 challenge and follow it from the start. 

Some stats to start off:

I read 11,931,924 words! 422 different fics, 67 fandoms and 173 unique ships!

Read on for my favorite fics of the year, and more statistics about type of fics, most popular fics and fandom and other fun facts!

By number of fics read my most popular fandom was Harry Potter. I read 41 different Harry Potter fics last year, and my most popular pairing for that fandom was Harry/Ginny. 9 of the fics had Harry & Ginny as the main pairing. 

Second most read by according to number of fics was Glee, with 39 total fics, and Rachel/Quinn being my most popular pairing, with 21 fics where that was the main pairing as well as being a secondary pairing in another 4 fics. 

In third place we have Critical Role, which means that I do atleast have one fandom that is still producing new content that I consume (sorry HP but fantastic beast is not my canon!). I read 35 different Critical Role fics, mainly campaign one and two. My main pairing I read was essek/caleb, with 4 fics, as well as 4 fics without romantic pairings. 

Overall by most fics read, my most popular pairing was a tie between regina/emma (once upon a time) and rachel/quinn with 21 fics each!

If we look at by number of words read, my most popular fandom was Harry Potter with 1 836 237 words read. Second most, accord to words, was Glee, with 1 637 214 words. And in third place, we have The 100, with 1 046 514 words read. 

In terms of ships, quinn/rachel win out by a fairly large margin. Nearly 10 percent of all words read was quinn/rachel, with a total of 1 14 9513 words total read. Jess/Rory (Gilmore Girls) comes in second with 990 554 words read. In third place is Harry/Ginny with 736 903 words.  I also read 799 501 words of fics without a romantic pairing. 

Longest fic read was of queens, kings and pawns by chancecraz which is a star wars time travel fix it fic, which focuses on a post-the force awakens leia being sent back to the day she woke on the death star. 

When it comes to type of fic, i mostly read canon divergence, with 143 fics qualifying under this type. When it comes to number of words, the most popular type of fic was still canon divergence, but followed very closely by time travel fix its and modern aus.

23 percent of all fics were re-reads of old(er) favorites, aka fics that I had read prior to this year.

And now, my top ten fics I read last year, (in no particular order and also some of these are series because this is my list and i make the rules and sometimes its just two unconnected series because i wanted to)!

1.  of queens, kings and pawns by chancecraz

I went to sleep on the worst day of my life and woke to find myself in the past on the second worst day of my life. As experiences go, I don’t recommend it. (leia-centric, han/leia)

This fic is INCREDIBLE. The world building is spot on, the character voices are spot on, leia being a reluctant force user, and the darth vader of it all is so good. It’s a WIP and might never be finished, but still totally worth it. It’s a long one tho.

2. The Changeling + The Armistice Series by  Annerb

Ginny is sorted into Slytherin. It takes her seven years to figure out why. (ginny centric, hints of harry/ginny) 

+  The thing about war is that it never ends. Not really. The battlefields just change locations. Harry and Ginny after the war. (harry/ginny)

The redemption of slytherin, the power of female friendship and also this is just such an incredible character study for ginny. The sequels are also fantastic, and the way the ginny & harry relationship unfolds is worth it alone. 

3. lux et veritas and distilla trust by peterstank

He stops, so she does too, albeit with a bit less grace. Then he grabs the sleeve of her coat and gently tugs her toward a bench with a quiet, “C’mere,” and it’s stupid, it’s ridiculous, but it gives her goosebumps. “Sit down, it’s gonna snow.”

Rory’s breath catches in her throat. Absurdly, ridiculously, she thinks: oh no. Dares to ask, “How can you tell?” and sincerely hopes his answer is something sarcastic and obvious like I checked the forecast this morning, how else?

Instead: “I can smell it. Sit.”

or: the one where jess goes to yale

+

“You brought a book?”

“Like you didn’t.”

She concedes the point and digs a paperback out of her clutch—Austen’s Persuasion, a good choice. Jess displays his own masticated copy of Tobias Wolff’s Old School, which feels like a consistently fitting read when encased within the two-hundred year old hallowed halls of Chilton Preparatory. The book’s cover is hanging on by Scotch tape and a prayer, and half the pages are creased with undone dog ears.

“Man, we’re a couple of anti-social freaks,” Rory declares.

Jess grins. “Just call me Thomas Pynchon.”

or: the one where jess goes to chilton.

First of all, all of peterstanks jess/rory stuff is AMAZING. Like out of this world, maybe some of the best stuff I’ve ever read amazing. But I am super weak for these two AUs and how Jess’s character elvoves in these two very different circumstances. I change my mind about which of these two are my favorite every single time I reread any of them, and like if you ship Literati, these are a MUST. 

4. Quality Ingredients by HurricaneJane

Executive Chef Lexa "The Commander" Woods is working in her latest establishment in her home town of Portland, Maine. She is about to start conceptualizing her next restaurant and only has one rule for herself during the process: No more girls. When an accident at the restaurant lands her in Dr. Clarke Griffin's ER, she second guesses why she ever had that rule in the first place. Lexa's head bartender, Lincoln, is obsessed with a divey restaurant on the other side of town run by Octavia. It doesn't take long for the small town to get even smaller when Lexa starts running into Clarke everywhere. Maybe rules were meant to be broken. (Clarke/Lexa, side Lincoln/Octavia)

This is my all time favorite the 100 fic, and I honestly can’t really put my finger on why. It has pretty much zero angst, so much good food, the characters feels right even in this setting, and just this fic gives me so many happy feelings.

5. Take these broken wings (series) by celaenos

Begins in Season one and follows Quinn through her life should she have chosen to keep Beth, realize she is gay, and fall in love with Rachel Berry.

I read a lot of Faberry, like a lot, and this is one of two fics (the other one reccomended below) that I constantly return to. It has everything I want from my faberry fic, with the added benefit of quinn/sam friendship and an absolutely adorable beth. it’s a very interesting look at quinn and how keeping beth would have changed her experiences and choices in the show. just give it a try, you won’t regret it.

6. the art of boxes by possibilist 

'Quinn thinks of gardenias growing through her eyes, and she thinks thinks of her childhood jewelry box: open it slowly enough, and the ballerina would spin for what seemed like forever.' College!Faberry as promised. Follows canon up through s3

First of all, all of possibilists writing is gorgeous, and if you don’t hate reading seccond person pov stories, i also highly recommend all of her one shots in her series where quinn is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which can be found on ffnet. But art of boxes if just so beautiful, written in third person, and is such a beautiful interpretation of a post-season 3 faberry. like quinn makes so much sense, their relationship develops so naturally, and quinn’s relationship with both her mom and franny in this one makes my heart sing. 

7. the leftover you by beatperfume

Isabelle Lightwood is having a rough start to her senior year. Her brothers have moved out, leaving her alone with her parents as their relationship falls apart. She’s questioning her commitment to ballet just as she’s supposed to be preparing her auditions for ballet academies. She doesn’t need beautiful and talented Clary Fray making her life even more complicated. (izzy/clary)

i’ve never read much shadowhunter fanfiction before, but this one just stole my heart completely. i am a sucker for ballet!aus, and this one is just so beautiful. izzy feels so right and her friendship then romance with clary is just everything. also has great izzy/alec feels. (trigger warning for eating disorders/disordered eating, abusive parents and drug abuse)

8. after laughter (series) by palaces_outofparagraphs

the girls in the years after the finale, dealing with the inevitable trauma after being stalked and tortured on and off for ten years. starts off at age 26, 3 years post-finale; will probably skip around. probably aria- and spencer-centric; a lot of spoby; absolutely no ezria.

this fic series is everything that i wanted the post time jump to be even if it’s set after the finale. it’s all about the girls (focusing on spencer) healing from their trauma and what that means for them, and how to exist in the world after all of it. and like it’s so good. my favorites are “half-empty girl” which deals with spencer & alison and is really really good and “aria.” in which aria realizes that stalking isn’t romance, and seducing a sixteen year old can never be a good thing. but the whole series is worth it. 

9. met you at the right time by bookglue

Rory Gilmore—single, unemployed, technically homeless, and pregnant—comes unstuck in time. Bouncing between significant and not-so-significant moments in her life, she tries to determine when and how her careful plans went wrong. With some help from an ex-boyfriend. (jess/rory)

I am a sucker for time travel fix its, but this is one of the more unique ones i have ever read, not as much fix it, but still in the same vein. mostly, it’s just really good and i don’t want to spoil anything because the journey is everything in this fic, so just read it please.

10. done with my graceless heart by prettypony

After seven year old Henry starts asking one too many questions, Regina realizes the only way forward is to find Emma Swan and break the curse over Storybrooke. The town’s clock will start, everyone will wake up, and perhaps they’ll be so grateful for her change of heart that they’ll decide not to execute her right away.

And if not, at least her son will have a mother. Even if it isn’t her.

[or: regina and henry go on a road trip to find henry's birth mom. true love ensues.] Season 1 AU - Canon Divergence (emma/regina)¨

this fic was so surprising and at the same time just made so much sense, because really how did henry make it to ten without realizing none of his friends aged? it’s really beautiful, it’s wonderful redemption story for regina, and the romance between emma and regina happens really naturally. just a wonderful fic. 

[ekaterin1701]

So @jedimastergoat asked what fanfic I was reading, and the short answer is that I’ve been working my way through Sam/ Jack fics on AO3, and if I like a story by a particular author, I’ll go through everything else they’ve read and the stories that they have bookmarked. I’ve found a lot of great fic this way 😊

Authors I really like are New Crayons, Starrybouquet, PepperF, Sarah M, ProfessorTennant, CoraClavia (the third fandom where I’ve discovered her writing - the others were Bones, then Castle), Annerb, LenaLake, Captain Sassy Socks, Amiven, and Soleya.

I’m only reading Sam/ Jack, though I don’t mind if it’s just romance or if it includes action and adventure too. I enjoy AUs, but I’m not keen on too much angst, or violence.

I’m quite picky and there are a few things that will put me off - the plot line of Sam & Jack’s children having some kind of powers/ being enhanced by the Asgard is one that I find particularly annoying and will stop me reading immediately. In general, kid fic is hard to do well and there have been some pregnancy/ childbirth fics that have made me cringe for various reasons.

It’s been interesting to think about the early days of fanfic compared to now. When I started reading fanfic in the mid 90s, I was reading X-Files fic on Usenet groups and the Gossamer archive. By the late 90s/ early 00s I was reading SG1 fics, which may have been the first time I used Fanfiction.net, but I’m sure I used Heliopolis.

Mid-00s was when I got into Bones fanfic, followed by Castle a few years later, and I’m sure I didn’t really use AO3 then as I had a FF.net account with bookmarks. Then as I’ve got back into SG1 and it’s almost all on AO3, which seems much better/ quicker to use that FF.net. I’ve read a few fics where the author explains that was written years ago but they’re only moving stuff to AO3 now.

So, a rather long-winded but nostalgic answer about the type of stories I enjoy!

It’s only here that I can admit that the reason my Goodreads account shows that I read a lot less in 2023 than in 2022 (down by about a third!) is that I got back into SG1 in 2023 and have read a lot of fanfic about these two ❤️