#hp het fic rec

[consistentsquash]

This was a great read! Loved it!

HP Rec Fest - Day 30

Prompt: An pre-canon fic @hprecfest

13 Years, 5 Months and 1 Week

Characters: Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall

Creator: Morgan72uk

Rating: T/PG-13

Word Count: 1,060

Summary: What did McGonagall do during WW2 and before returning to Hogwarts in December 1956?

Why You Should Check It Out:

From 2006, there’s this little gem from morgan72uk on FFN. It’s a surprising take on what Minerva did between graduating from Hogwarts and returning to teach, and it manages to say a great deal about the character, her relationship to the school, to others, and to herself in a mere 1,052 words. Enjoy it over your coffee break.

[consistentsquash]

HP Rec Fest - Day 4

Fest - @hprecfest

Theme - Fic with Art

Title - PS, I love you

Author + Artist - @my--witch, groot

Pairing - Snape/Hermione

Rec because - Nobody call a welfare check to my home because I recced Snape/Hermione. I got big reasons!

Reason 1 is @my--witch gets Snape! It really shows in her art!!!

Reason 2 is Snape gets laid.

Reason 3 is this is a really brilliant fic and art combo. Lots of humor, lots of plot, lots of postwar Ministry politics and drama! With an incredible earned happy ending!! This is the perfect art and fic for the season!

[sitp-recs]

HP Rec Fest, Day 9

Rare pair galore, my moment has come!!! This is probably my favorite rec post so far. I mean, I’ve been reccing rare pairs for @hprecfest prompts already so I’ll take this opportunity to champion my favorite rare pair writers and focus on some niche ships that I would not even consider had I not stumbled across that particular fic. Idk how many people out there indulge het ships but if anyone’s looking for something steamy hot and well-written oh boy, do I have some treats for you. You’ll notice that most fics fall within the “problematique” category due to the age gap aspect (which let’s be honest, it’s the reason why I considered reading them in the first place 🌝). By the way, some of these are the only fics written for these ships, how cool is that?!

Day 9) A 5 rare pair fic (less than 2000 fics)

Opposite Ends by pauraque (Millicent/Aberforth, E, 1.5k)

She thought she'd feel different after they'd fucked. He's lived long enough to know that he wouldn't.

would never imagine these two together in a million years but omg so freaking hot 🥵 we have so little canon info on them but both povs are fascinating and full of personality

Gouge Away by tamlane (Millicent/Victoire, T, 1.7k)

The Weasley girl has developed a keen fascination with Millicent's woodworking shop. Millicent can't seem to get rid of her, no matter how hard she tries.

another surprising but quite charming pair, I love the set up and dynamics here - so much UST under 2k wow I need more wlw age gap!

Drip, Honey, Drip by tamlane (Lily Luna/Michael Corner, E, 3k)

Lily's boss catches her daydreaming on a Friday afternoon. He thinks there could be a business opportunity in it, and he wants to hear more. Sequel here.

this fic turned me on blew my mind! very original concept perfectly executed, the sexual tension is so dripping hot and intoxicating I thought I’d combust. the sequel is equally delicious, 10/10

testosterone (sounds like a spell) by pauraque (Justin/Hannah E, 7.7k) 🏳️‍⚧️

Justin never returned to Hogwarts after the Death Eaters came. He's found that the Muggle world offers other kinds of transfiguration — a body alchemy far more powerful than any magic spell. Sometimes he wonders if anyone even remembers that once, years ago, he was a novice wizard.

one of the best, most sensitive and moving trans stories I’ve read in the fandom. it’s such a privilege to follow Justin’s journey and I adore the way he clicks with Hannah. fabulous sex scene too

Burned Silk, Buckled Leather by @ruinsplume (Draco/Sirius, E, 12k)

When Sirius discovers a down-and-out Draco Malfoy lurking around the edges of a Muggle kink club, he thinks he knows just what Draco needs. He isn't expecting to run into some long-buried needs of his own.

my favorite Draco/Sirius out there, this fic has RP’s trademark: sinfully hot, tender devastating smut bringing together complex characters and many emotional layers beneath the surface. the kink exploration here is 👨‍🍳💋 mesmerizing!

[honeymouthedtales]

may i ask here for fic recs from you? any ship, any tags. i do trust your judgment very much and dearly love everything that you write. it's so difficult to find something that captures me as intensely as your art does :'( if it's too much of a hassle to share, maybe a top 5? or if you have answered this before already, pardon me and ignore all of this. thank you nevertheless and bye <3

a top 5 fics is really hard, i do read a lot. i've shared many mh recs in the past so i won't share them again but i can share same that i really liked from other fandoms. in no particolar order btw

Prevenient by bazooka (only available to people with registered ao3 accounts) and in general all their ancient bakery au: the fandom is seungkyunkwan scandal but you don't need to know much about that to understand the story since it's an au. it's a three parts story and i think in total it'll be like 150k? maybe more? but written so well it makes me cry

(after a while) you learn by curledupkitten (kittebasu): it's an exo fic and again the pairing or whether you know them or like them doesn't matter, it could easily be an original. it's one of the fics that inspired me the most when writing modern aus because i want my characters to be seen and understood the way they made me understand theirs

anything written by dirgewithoutmusic on ao3: they most write short works and they have a lot of different fandoms like marvel, narnia, hp, lotr... i love their voice. the way they say things when writing makes me want to listen forever. they have also written an original fantasy book series which i have read and really liked, but they tend to stay on the short side on ao3.

A hit, a very palpable hit by Shem: the fandom is Pride and Prejudice, the main ship is Kitty/OC, and boy I never say I have favorite books or movies but I think P&P is my favorite book and I love every variation of it but it's hard to read fics because the writers can rarely reproduce the genius of Jane Austen's words and her wittiness and everything that makes me love the books, but Shem does it right. I've read everything by this author but this is my favorite of their works. Not recommended if you aren't into P&P tho ahah

Sansûkh by determamfidd: fandom is LOTR, and like above, if you like LOTR you will love this fic.

Random extra rec:

i could whet your appetite by beizhaan: fandom is MDZS, it's a alpha/incubus au and tbh I could've put a lot of fics here but since I was really unsure I was looking at my bookmarks and this piece stood up because the s3x was good ahah so I included it.

I would've included more het fic recs because I do read them, but most of them would've been hp fics and I'm not actively reccing hp anymore to boycott jkr

Hope this gave you some food, I tried to keep the recs diverse since idk which fandoms you could be into but idk if they're as interesting for other people as they are for me :v

[consistentsquash]

WHOA!!!! CONGRATS!!! <3 also @squibstress!!! super relevant to our interests :D :D

Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape, 127,191 words, NC-17.

It's finished! It's finished! It's finished! It's finished! It's finished! It's finished! AAAAAAHHHHHH!

At long last, I've managed to bring a WIP to completion! Minerva and Severus have struggled their way to the end. It's 9:30 at night, I haven't eaten since breakfast, and I could dance a jig! But I won't. The story is Angst Central, canon compliant as far as Snape's fate goes, so you know, a jig is a little OOC. But I'm thrilled to have brought this little ship into harbor, because - now I can abandon ship and run away! (Not really, I still love Snagonagall, but it's time I turned my sights back on Snarry.)

I was helped to shepherd this story to the end by a group of absolutely lovely readers and commenters. The idea got its start in the Snapecase fest on LiveJournal (which is currently running, and maybe now I can catch up on my reading) and it's taken years to finally get it out there. I need a breather. I know this isn't a popular ship, but I had feelings about them, and at least for now, I've had my say.

[thistlecatfics]

I posted 850 times in 2022

121 posts created (14%)

729 posts reblogged (86%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@broomsticks

@thistlecatfics

@billsfangearring

@lqtraintracks

@kissingartemis

I tagged 544 of my posts in 2022

Only 36% of my posts had no tags

#hp - 199 posts

#hp fic rec - 64 posts

#thistlecat fics - 44 posts

#sirius black - 42 posts

#wolfstar - 39 posts

#blackcest - 27 posts

#hp fests - 27 posts

#remus lupin - 26 posts

#pansy parkinson - 25 posts

#drarry - 23 posts

Longest Tag: 113 characters

#have we not all spent our lives studying body language and speaking patterns to better adapt in any situation????

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

There were SO MANY fics for @hprarepairfest this year (56!). Trying to keep up with the fest was like drinking from a rarepair firehose. I’m splitting my rec list into three: Bratty Femmes, Angsty Boys* and Giggles with Gilderoy*  (*and others). This specific rec list is 90% Narcissa and Pansy having great sex and making bad decisions. 

Absolute favorites marked with **

Femslash:

**Looking For A Complication by @the-wig-is-a-metaphor (Ginny/Narcissa, 8k, M)

"Mother, when I said you should get out more," Draco shouts, "I did not mean you should have an illicit affair with a scandalously younger woman!"

I already made a whole rec post for this one. Humor, heart, heat. The fic has it all. One of my new all-time favorites. 

This Regret We've Got Accustomed To by mouldy_voldy (Il_Valentino)(Astoria/Pansy, 1.5k, E) 

“He may be my best friend, but you are the fucking love of my life,” Pansy snarls against her lips and then closes the distance. The kiss is more teeth and want than anything, but her lips are just as Astoria remembers, the taste of her enough to induce euphoria. She can’t remember ever wanting anything as much as she wants this. Pansy won't let her forget.

Little fic packs a (very sexy) punch. Pansy is SO HOT in this. 

Fate & Jupiter by thewakeless (Parvati/Lavender & Padma/Katie, 25k, T)

Padma and Parvati might not agree on everything, but they know one thing for sure, they’re both ready for a change. Padma is worn out from her Ministry job, and Parvati is tired of pining after Lavender 24/7. So, they decide to open up a potion shop in Hogsmeade but of course nothing goes quite as planned because you can’t stop fate, and you certainly can’t stop Jupiter.

Or wholesome double getting together wlw with strong winter vibes

Bit of a stretch to include this in bratty femmes but it was so darling, and Lavender is very much a femme and a bit of a brat in this in a lovely way. Wholesome and very queer, and I now have a crush on butch Katie Bell.

Het:

**Your Cigarette Smell by @lumosatnight​ (Sirius/Narcissa, 10k, E)

It’s easy, she thinks.

Falling into each other while their family falls apart. Lips connecting while other connections fizzle away. Losing themselves to pleasure while the rest of the world grows lost to war.

Bodies sliding together as months slide by.

It's exactly what I love about Sirius/Narcissa - the sense of desire and shame and duty and fury and hate and love! And the tragedy of it all! I loved how the author wove together the nonlinear narrative, which gave the fic a haunted and inevitable quality - very doomed lovers bound by fate vibes.

Table For Two by maeshowers (Sirius/Pansy, 3k, E)

Pansy isn't having a good time at Draco and Hermione's wedding. Neither is Sirius. Maybe copious amounts of alcohol and a good fuck could change that.

It’s fun, and it’s hot, and it’s Pansy/Sirius. I love a messy friend group full of ex’s (because I am a lesbian), and I absolutely adore how much of a brat Pansy is here: “I led your godson on for months because I wanted to fuck his wife." Incredible!

Disparities by @mean-whale-writes (Remus/Narcissa, 2k, E)

As much as he sometimes tried to spin the truth into something more palatable, he enjoyed the immorality of fucking the enemy.

Hot and dangerous and unexpected - perfect for rarepair fest!

Slash recs on their way in the “angsty boys” category :) 

28 notes - Posted January 23, 2022

#4

one of my goals for 2022 is to do more fic recs with pretty banners so here is my first!

Did You Miss Me? by @krethes and Fantismal

Fully written and will be 600k (!!). Wolfstar + Jily + other side pairings.

It’s a text fic for grownups. It’s a text fic and university AU and celebrity AU that I love and am fully invested in, which is utterly shocking to me as someone who generally avoids all of those things. You’ve got a hilarious cast of characters who love to text smutty, gossip-y things AND you have the promise of Big Plot and Big Black Family Trauma on its way.

You’re going to want to follow along with this one!

Check it out, mind the tags (like seriously, mind the tags) and subscribe <3

29 notes - Posted January 15, 2022

#3

Acting Out (Molly Prewett/Narcissa Black, 2k, M)

Narcissa’s to-do list for the evening:

Drink enough champagne she forgets she ever had more than one sister. 

Make someone cry. (Does not count if it’s herself.) 

Be told she is the most beautiful woman at the party. (Preferably by multiple people.)

Have sex that would scandalise her parents. (If they would even pay attention.)

Day 9: @kinkuary’s age gap + @hpshipuary’s Molly/Narcissa + Fluffbruary’s stiletto + Femslash Feb’s vintage. 

cw: underage, dub con due to deception and underage. 

AN: Molly is fat, and Narcissa is into it, but Narcissa’s also 16 and a vain, judgmental bitch, and some of her narration might cross the line into both being fetishizing and stigmatising. This is also slightly canon-divergent as in this universe Molly has not yet married Arthur at age 21.

32 notes - Posted February 9, 2022

#2

breaking my no 500+ kudos rule for this series of fic recs for my all time top drarry

Super Rich Kids by @thusspoketrish​ (81k, E, Drarry)

Draco Malfoy has become disillusioned by the glitz and glamour of the scandalous lives of the Post-Second Wizarding War Pureblood Elite. Enter: one existential crisis, one group of thieving cynical friends, and several terrible, terrible decisions.

Post-war Drarry with major (deliberate) Bright Lights Big City + Gossip Girl + Cruel Intentions + Bling Ring vibes. Of course I’m obsessed. The author manages to excel at the mood, plot, characterization, angst, world-building, sex, AND humor??? Is there anything the author can't do?? I cannot emphasize enough how this fic has EVERYTHING. Do mind the tags, as always.

It’s hot and dark and hilarious and moving. Draco with a coke habit and a heart is everything. Good guy Harry (through Draco’s biased eyes) is also everything. And a stunning, classic fanon!Pansy, my beloved. Plus, there’s Sprinkles the dog, who is the star of the show. (The dog lives, if you were worried.) 

This line has haunted me since I’ve read it:

"Draco knows he’s not a good person, and will never be good enough for Harry.

He’s right where he should be."

Read it on Ao3 so you can be equally haunted <3 

47 notes - Posted January 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

my date cancelled last minute so now I’m just hot and dressed up and drinking pinot grigio and writing harry potter fanfiction on a saturday night <3 

72 notes - Posted February 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[phdmama]

Hii hun, so I'm not sure if I'm in the right blog but it miiiight've been you who posted about a HP fic called An Ever Fixed Mark? It's a het fic which I wouldn't normally touch with a ten foot pole but whoever the op was was raving about it so much that I just had to give it a go. And. Well. My god. I am obsessed with it, it's possibly the best thing Ive ever read. Unfortunately I didn't check before I started that it's not fully published yet so I am counting down the days till the next chapter drops. Why do I do this to myself?

Anyway, I just wanted to say thankyou if it was in fact you who posted it because it's not only giving me great joy but has got me back into HP fandom after years. HP was actually the first fanfiction I encountered (though now I read mostly Larry) . And if it wasn't you then I can happily give you a fic rec!

Hope you're having a beautiful day/night xx

Hey bby!!

I don't think it was me who rec'd the fic (I tend to be pretty fixated on Drarry haha) - am I right that it's this one?

Ever Fixed Mark (which is my fav sonnet like ever)

In any case, however it came to you, I'm thrilled you've found a new fic to love!! And I am also thrilled you're returning to us in HP!! WE LOVE YOU AND WANT YOU HERE!!

[consistentsquash]

5 fic recs for Friday

Pretty behind on reading but got some recs for you!! Happy Friday <3

Fruitful by dalula.

Length - 1500 words.

Pairing - Druella/Cygnus

Blurb - Super creative. Super rare pair. Really intense Druella characterization. Creepy/dirty/bad/hot/wrong. This fic is pretty ruthless. Loved it. From @hp-chan-fest. The collection on AO3.

Vibe quote

He doesn't even blink when she takes him to an empty bedroom and locks the door behind him. With siblings like Walburga and Alphard, Druella had expected him to have some kind of common sense, or at least a little curiosity, but no. He stands waiting for her, delightfully naïve.

Hiraeth by @theseismicshifts

Length - 2800 words

Pairing - Genfic. Regulus and Sirius.

Blurb - Omg. Regulus checking on his brother during Azkaban. It's horrible. Super tragic. Super loving. Heartbreaking. Must read. This is from Ghost Regulus Fest 2023.

Jumping up, Regulus stood between the hungry Dementor and what remained of his brother. With his feet planted firmly and hands gripped in knuckle whitening fists, he was determined to make a difference– this time.

Just Wednesday by @lumosatnight

Length - 2200 words

Pairing - Wednesday/Enid

Blurb - Ok! Super late to the Wednesday f/f fics but I picked the best fic to start with. Totally vibe with this. Really love how sensitive + bold the fic gets about gender vibes. Also Monday (fuck/fucker/fucks) is my gender on Mondays just in case anybody wanted to know :D

“Personal pronouns. I think they’re dumb. They shouldn’t matter.” Eugene pokes his curly head around the hive. “I don’t think they’re dumb.” His brows pinch together. “And I think they do matter. It gives you something to feel connected to, something to say ‘This is for me. This is mine.’” He looks down sheepishly. “I mean, only if you want to. But lots of people want to. I know I want to. I know Enid wants to, too.”

Year of the Thestral by @perverse-idyll

Length - 22800 words WIP

Pairing - Hooch/McGonagall, Snape/McGonagall

TL;DR - You know what they say about making deals with the devil. This fic is pretty much that.

A fic I read at work. I mean I definitely shouldn't be reading at work but I saw the update and of course needed to read it immediately. Because this is my favorite WIP from perverse_idyll at the moment. Maybe it's kind of a Snarry betrayal to say that but I feel the Snape characterization here is the same level of intense as Rose and Fire which is something I haven't seen before in fic. YMMV!

Premise - the structure of the fic is really brilliant. We get to start with McGonagall post war but like really, really post war. Love the themes of growing older and how that makes you think about the past differently. Of course, for McGonagall the past doesn't get easier to think about. Because her past during that DH year is the worst. Really intense, really about a battle of ego/principles/desperation/hatred/everything. We get to see why that is. Definitely not good. I am a super Snape fan but I really want to cancel him in this fic. But McGonagall herself is super flawed/super human. I feel for her so much. Actually I feel for both of them but Snape is definitely A+ bastard.

Prose - Gosh, the prose. It's actually pretty different from the usual PI prose. The McGonagall voice is super sharp/super observant/super vivid. But not like in the descriptive sense we get to see in the author's other fics. This is an incredibly brutal POV which definitely goes more hammer compared to paintbrush. Idk if that makes sense.

Vibe quote

"One more thing before you go," he said, and Minerva braced herself, her gaze lifting to the portrait of Dumbledore asleep, head on one hand, spectacles sitting crooked on his crooked nose. "Do not ever," Severus enunciated, the hiss sharpening to a viper's threat, "come in here and presume to thank me for sparing your conscience. I will not tolerate being patted on the head as if I've performed a party trick. I'm not your pet, Minerva. My perceived lenience in this instance has nothing to do with you. Make that mistake again, and I will take my alleged 'fairness' out of Longbottom's hide." "Over my dead body," she snapped, meeting coldness with coldness and feeling that melodramatic ripostes were the only possible response to such foul nonsense.

The Eumenides Triptych (Szozat, Eumenides, O Glaube) by eldritcher

Length - 12000 words, complete.

Pairing - Tom Riddle/Abraxas Malfoy.

TL;DR - Sometimes making deals with a God is just as bad as making deals with a devil. This fic is pretty much that.

Dark/delicious/intense. Mythical/haunting/lyrical/horrible. Super unhealthy. Also Love in Capital Letters. <3

Premise - There are three Gods in Tom Riddle's life. First of course is Albus Dumbledore. Second is Tom himself. Third is Abraxas who is Tom's love interest. Depending on the choices Albus Dumbledore and Abraxas make Tom either goes into madness + evil + destruction or has a traumatized life after going through a lot of loss/grief . Definitely no happy ending. But it's absolutely human either way.

Beats - Albus Dumbledore timetravels to adopts/raises Tom Riddle but Tom dies during the war with Grindelwald. Albus resurrects Tom with Sacrifice in Szozat. Of course Abraxas has got to deal with the fallout in Eumenides. It is horrible. But also beautiful. We get to see the conclusion in O Glaube.

The theme of choice - The Prometheus Triptych has some of the defining characterizations and character dynamics which influenced literally 99% of the fics in that pairing. It is about Abraxas enabling Tom Riddle because of their love. Eumenides goes in the opposite direction which is Abraxas fixing Tom Riddle because of love. A beautiful story about the two of the extremes love can lead to. Somebody said it's the difference between the Tragedy that condemns/The Tragedy that redeems. Pretty much this 100%.

Vibe Quote

Grindelwald had dragged the boy before us. His men had carven an eagle on his back, and cut his bones open from breast to loin, and pulled his organs out and fed them to the dogs. And what remained, it had been left to rot in the open fields of the no man's land on the front. There it would have lain, until the vermin and the rains and the earth picked it clean, but Albus Dumbledore had been a creature that had swept across time to raise the boy as his own, and he had eaten the flesh to inverted womb's song.

[consistentsquash]

Whoa! This is totally why you shouldnt do cracky spite recs because this fandom is too creative and you are definitely going to end up with new ships. Also why I am shipping Voldemort/Viktor Krum.

This list is so good!! Some familiar to me fics. pauraque!!! I love that fic. also some of my other Remus favs on that list. Violetquill!

Need to read the others asap!!

fic rec list: 15 het Remus rare ships

aka not remadora, not gay remus, but a secret third (fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh) option

okay so i totally played myself here: this started out as a cracky spite reclist, but i should have known better… i may now have fifteen new ships.

seriously, they’re legitimately good. SO many good reads.

the list: remus/hermione, remus/lily, remus/minerva, remus/trelawney, remus/poppy, remus/petunia, remus/narcissa, remus/bellatrix, remus/fleur, remus/pansy, remus/cho, remus/luna, remus/ginny, remus/lavender, remus/andromeda.

bonus: several remus HP poly ships, and several excellent buffy the vampire slayer crossovers: remus/jenny calendar and remus/faith lehane.

---

1. remus/hermione

look. i don’t just have a fic rec for this. i have a rec for a ship manifesto (original link | wayback machine) and rec list (LJ comm het-reccers | wayback machine)

Because of the slim canon interaction and the many obstacles to writing the pairing, it’s often done badly. But I think when it’s done well, it’s done very well; a writer who can keep the two characters true to the Remus and Hermione that we know and still write a convincing relationship between them tends to be a good writer. Consequently, there are some real gems among the fandom. In conclusion, yes, this is difficult to write and indeed to get your head around. But done well, it can be challenging, thought-provoking, fluffy, angsty, dark and hot. Often all at the same time. And in a fandom that ships cephalopods, this can only be a good thing.

first entry on that reclist is a ~10k E-rated fic titled after a shakespeare sonnet, and the rec begins:

This is by far my favorite fic in any fandom or ship. It's a beautiful story that depicts how these two characters slowly weave into each other.

the second entry has implied past wolfstar, and there’s fic by both setissma and musesfool on the list.

2. remus/lily

holy fuck this ship blindsided me with the angst and tragedy!! mwpp era writers, why are you Like This.

The Day After by violet_quill (1k, E). canon compliant, november the first, 1981, adultery. the repeating motif of street trash hurts me.

He doesn't think about how he doesn't like coffins anymore than he likes bars; he doesn't wonder who has the worse fate. He tries not to remember that he will be the only one left to put flowers on the graves. He doesn't think about James either.

bonus shoutouts to:

No Harm, But No Certain Good by victoria_p (musesfool) (1k, M), hogwarts era secret relationship, uhea as fuck

The Bowl Of Lilacs by copperbadge (12k, M), first war to eventual remus raises harry au, more plotty/remus-centric than shippy, but the remus/lily is both on page and significant

3. remus/minerva mcgonagall

two excellent poa fics:

The Ten Month Career of Professor R. J. Lupin by pauraque (3k, T):

He raised his hand to knock, but stopped halfway, caught in the shadow of decision. All during the long, hazy summer he'd thought of this, of what he should say, of how he should act.

god, i love this remus. the reminerva and sevinerva (yes, i did just invent these) love triangle is so beautifully woven!

A Year In The Life by copperbadge (41k, T): what a love affair! loved exploring a faculty romance through the eyes of these two, and the ending was so painfully drawn out! the Rent lyrics!!!

4. remus/sybil trelawney

two more POA with perfectly characterized dramatic trelawney, who Sees and is completely, hilariously wrong with her interpretation -- i adore this trope sm.

The Baby in the Pumpkin Patch & Other Stories by @evesaintyves: Chapter 3: The Seer, the Bell Jar, and the Packet of Crisps (~2k, G)

Black With a Tail by @paulamcg (500, G)

5. remus/poppy pomfrey

Take Care of Yourself by @patriceavril (8k, M), a lost years/pre-POA remus/poppy. so soft and tender, the little peter HC and the briefcase HC :') never gets old!

6. remus/petunia

A Different Fate by lordhellebore (6.5k, T): remus and petunia raise dudley and a disabled harry au, in 65 x 100-word drabbles. fluffy, angsty, a surprisingly wholesome take on this pairing!

7. remus/narcissa

Disparities by @puuvillaa (2.5k, M). first war fic, yummy hatesex, who is using who?

Fallen Stars by @siriusly-sapphic (4k, T): hogwarts-era alternative sorting slytherin remus au is such a good setup for this pairing!

8. remus/bellatrix

lots of intriguing takes on this pairing!

Bellatricked by Ellen Smithee (ellensmithee) (800, E): dark remus lupin, er, snuff.

What the Moon Revealed by Maria_de_Salinas (2k, E): can’t go wrong a good first war hatesex!

Before the Veil by Donna_Immaculata (4k, E): more snuff fic hahaha. implied wolfstar, established snupin

worth mentioning that this pairing is not ALL snuff fic -- there’s a surprising amount of soft!bellatrix -- but tbh i liked these better.

9. remus/fleur

before marrying bill, fleur wants to make sure she is… Riding The Real Thing by snapealina (2k, E).

there’s also an interesting muggle art camp counselor/camper au (5k, M)!

10. remus/pansy

Pruddy's Inn by littlealex (2k, E): post-canon au, ahhh gorgeous '00s era fic.

Pansy's legs disentangle themselves from around Remus' shoulder and arm, and Remus collapses on top of her, unable to support his own weight. She sighs contentedly and threads her fingers through his hair, her eyes still shut firmly against reality. What good is reality, she muses, if I can just pretend to get what I want?

11. remus/cho

The Heart by bloodsugarlove (7k, T). teacher/student told from teacher pov is always fascinating and the prose in this one is unique and lovely! note: doesn’t warrant the underage warning, no whiff of underage sex anywhere.

It's something of a scandal that Cho is seeker for Ravenclaw; many girls appear threatened by this, though they can't deny that is is rather decent at the position. Boys think it is fascinating, and Chang herself is arrogant in the most charming way. Not that Mr. Lupin really thinks so, mind you; it's a collective opinion, and anyway he has had quite his fill of arrogance. He has had quite his fill of a lot of things. He would really rather think of something else.

12. remus/luna

Stubby Boardman and the Cacao Bean by kestrelsan (2k, G), a remix fic!!! loved both the original drabble and it was so cool to see it expanded into this oneshot.

honestly this is a real quality ship! in addition to all the lovely smut and kink that’s all over the ship tag, there’s also:

this postwar perfection -- he was learning what was real: like Heliopaths and Snorcacks and love! -- Bearing Fruit by @paulamcg (2k, M),

this creaturehunting mission fic, with multiple pieces of fanart, created for @hpdrizzle fest 2017: The Naturists by hikorichan (9k, T)

and this lovely post-canon get-together -- Anytime by @nanneramma (1k, T) -- the seasonal pacing works so well for this nature-connected pairing!

13. remus/ginny

The Meaning of Restraint by Darsynia (4k, M): caught in a club and i’m not even underage! stellar vibes and dynamic here.

open my heart (let it bleed onto yours) by @lunapwrites (~20k (wip), E) -- a fascinatingly, wonderfully explored postwar marriage law au!

14. remus/lavender

Big Teeth/Little Red by PacificRimbaud (5k, M): oh my god this was utterly delightful. it’s a library meet-cute and a halloween party and the age differences, hahaha. a ton of age gap pairings here -- harry/pansy is the only one that is not, iirc.

While he tugs at the cap, he wonders at the audacity of living one’s life as Sirius Black. What must it be like: to understand the line between being a man who has bad ideas, and being a bad man? To gleefully ride along the edge of it, to toss away all but your own discernment, to simply do what you would like to do so long as no one’s being harmed, to not worry about what your desires say about you, to call your godson’s half-dressed former girlfriend a bad idea to her waggishly smiling face at your kitchen table and to let yourself bask in the fallout, sated like a wolf that's helped itself to a lamb. A— …big bad wolf…

15. remus/andromeda

Shelter at Your Door by starfishstar (13k, T): an andromeda doesn’t elope, marries and later leaves lucius au. the r/a relationship in this au is so well-written, their compatibility is so lovely, and although tonks is never born in this au, the r/t echoes are deliciously haunting!

"So," she said softly, pressing down against him, and Remus, following instinct at last, arched to meet her. "Are we doing this?" "Yes," Remus agreed, a whisper in her ear. "We're doing this." Careful not to sound judgemental about it, Andromeda asked, "Have you done this before?" With Remus and his insistence that everything about himself was dangerous and not to be allowed, it was difficult to know. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Yeah. Couple of times." "Oh?" she teased, still gentle. "What happened to being too dangerous for anything beyond friendship?" Remus' mouth made a wry twist. "It found itself on a collision course with being nineteen years old and horny, that's what happened to it."

---

a bonus: if anyone's taking notes, i couldn’t find fic for:

remus/olympe maxime,

remus/myrtle warren,

remus/the grey lady

remus/parvati or remus/padma patil,

remus/rita skeeter in english,

remus/angelina aside from the remus x gryffindor chaser sandwich,

remus/millicent bulstrode that was not a crossover,

remus/rose weasley or remus/victoire (there's a bunch of remus/lily luna all written by one author)

not to mention literally any creaturefic at all -- remus/basilisk? remus/nagini? remus/mrs norris? remus/hedwig? y’all, i’m disappointed. there was one remus/crookshanks [chapter 21].

---

bonus recs:

remus/hermione/ginny/luna, a nice lovely fluffy fun (E-rated) romp

remus/pomona/hagrid: "You see, I was thinking if you fucked this plant in werewolf form, we could get a beautiful crossbreed for dear Ru's birthday next month."

bonus bonus recs:

+1. remus/jenny calendar from buffy the vampire slayer

Weighed Down With Good Intentions by Thistlerose (8k, M):

"And your friends? Come on, Remus. You had to have had some. Outgoing, personable guy like you." Her tone was light, the kiss she pressed against the corner of his mouth playful. "They're dead too," he said, his smile fading. "All of them. There were never many," he added when she looked at him, her eyebrows raised. "Three. Four. One turned out not to be a friend after all.""And he – or she – " "He." "Is he dead too?" "Prison," Remus said. He closed his eyes and saw Sirius's face instead of Jenny's. Rough black hair, storm-colored eyes, lightning smile. Grease under fingernails. How many different kinds of lightning had he discovered that summer?

jfc this is GENIUS. the references to both BTVS and HP, the intertwining of both stories — it’s canon compliant to both, afaik, except for the bit where remus survives the second war to have that very last conversation — and holy shit that very last cameo!!!

+2. remus/faith lehane from btvs/ats

The Intent To Be Lost by voleuse (1.5k, T), post-Chosen, an encounter with a stranger.

"You could meet me again." She raises her eyebrows, leers a little. He rises from the floor, his body casting a lean shadow on the carpet. "Perhaps," he murmurs, idly running his fingers around his wrist. Faith shrugs again, but pauses before she exits. "You should," she hesitates. "You should be careful out there. At night." He's strong, but she's not sure if he's that strong, and he's starting to look a little pale. "It can get rough after dark." "Indeed," Remus says, but he smiles almost politely. "See you," Faith replies, and she tries to shut the door quietly behind her.

impeccable characterization sells a good crossover every damn time.

[broomsticks]

help needed??? i've been in fandom for 5 years and i still haven't proper *proper* read a femslash fic???? i'm not counting side relationships and established relationships. shame on me, i know, but i'm here requesting for a guide because i thought i could start anywhere, and then realised i didn't know what i wanted - or who i wanted to watch fall in love. which is.... sort of absurd, like i'm a multishipper, and i have female faves too. anyway! would you be so kind as to rec your fav recs, fics, or metas, or fav ships so i could jump aboard one?

many thanks in advance 🤗

ykw i actually think i get what you mean anon. especially in HP fandom, where so many of the main characters are male and so many of the important relationships are het or between two male characters, you do have to make a special effort, go out of your way almost, to consider female characters. and then in that light femslash seems almost - contrived? forced? and not only is that not fun for a lot of people, there’s also the side of ‘am i just rehashing amatonormativity again???!’ you just can’t win, etc

all of which is to say, if you (more so anyone else reading this) don’t feel particularly drawn to femslash, especially in the HP fandom, that’s okay! maybe think about trying out more original media that centers female characters and relationships between them—i’ve recently loved both a league of their own (1940s american girls professional baseball league! so much canon wlw) and house of the dragon (dyke drama with dragons! canon is only het though) for this—but, meh, your fannish brain wants what it wants. ❤️

THAT was a really long way of saying: that’s why i think probably the first fic that really unlocked my femslash brain was this 200k longfic by @hawksquill, Luna Lovegood and the Forgotten Circle. it’s tagged luna/ginny but is really more of a luna centric AU, set parallel to the canon timeline. several canon events happen ‘in the background,’ like the chamber being opened in COS and sirius escaping pre POA, but luna is the main character, with a prophecy centered around her, and the story basically completely diverges from canon by the mid Hogwarts years. the main cast is almost all female characters: luna, her mother, ginny, mrs figg, mcgonagall, gwenog jones - everyone from bellatrix to lavender! really opened my eyes to the potential stories that could be told with the little scraps and tidbits of characterization given to these female characters.

have a little excerpt from chapter 17 that i still think about way too often:

“If you could have magic, like with a snap of your fingers, would you do it?” “You know, I’ve wondered about that for a long time. There will always be a part of me, a large part, that thinks I should say yes in an instant. But there are a lot of scammers trying to prey on us Squibs, and we have to be careful. And we ought to remember that fairy tales teach us to be careful what we wish for, particularly when we are offered something that seems too good to be true,” Mrs. Figg reflected as she added the valerian root and passed some to Luna. “So I suppose that if I were to get magic after all this time, I should want to work for it, so I could truly appreciate it, and be sure it was real. Which is why I keep pottering on at the Circle, and why you all think I’m such a fool.” “I don’t think you’re a fool,” Luna said quickly, but the lie tasted bitter on her tongue, and she was sure Mrs. Figg could sense it too.

-

(theres like a million and one things under the read more)

-

a couple of shorter femslash recs that hew slightly closer to canon: 

Two Quaffles Pub by @thistlecatfics: postwar, cho and ginny meet at a bar and get to talking about what they have in common. harry. quidditch. michael corner. definitely not war trauma and definitely not unhealthy coping mechanisms!

tags: sometimes you get drunk and trauma dump on your ex's ex at the gay bar, and then make out in the bathroom. messy trauma recovery, Getting Together, not the healthiest of relationships but c'est la vie

“The war impacted me too. Just because I don’t spill my war stories to random girls in bars, doesn’t mean I don’t also have my shit.”  “Tell me, then,” Ginny dared. She leaned across the table, staring at Cho. “I told you about Tom, the man in my body when I was eleven. What have you got?”  Cho knew she shouldn't let this hot woman - no - hot mess of a woman bait her. Not when she was already feeling the alcohol. Not on a date. Well, this wasn’t a date, whatever she had implied earlier. She was not on a date with Harry’s Quidditch star ex who, apparently, had more trauma than anyone knew and a bit of a drinking problem to match.

hermione/ginny: it’s practically canon. they share so much gossip, they share a tent in GOF. here's a sweet untitled vignette series, Ginny is all warmth and strength and movement.

i’m not normally overly one for friends-to-lovers, but i really enjoyed these postwar parvender + werewolf lavender brown fics. again more established relationship than falling in love, but it’s not implausible to imagine given canon basis and there’s plenty more relationship development story to tell! 

beautiful enough for the both of us by dirgewithoutmusic

like the careful undressing of love by comosum

Where Roses Bloom by monetstcroix

-

some marauders era: first thing that came to mind was alice/narcissa, actually! pre first war canon compliant is a fun space to play around in, because it’s circumscribed to an extent — you know you’re writing a doomed angsty romance, you know you’re reading a doomed angsty romance, you know where this story is headed but until then, until then, there is room to put your own stamp on things, your own interpretation of “how it might have gone”

Alice, Look at Me by Rollercoasterwords is probably the definitive marauderstok fic for the ship;

Devil's Snare by endocrine was written in 2015 and has several similar story beats/HCs!

Flying Lessons by Phantomato is a postwar andromeda/rolanda hooch i raved about recently that does a great job of pulling from canon and delving into some aspects of postwar trauma not often explored.

some other i never really thought about these!! ships i’m personally very fond of/ very intrigued by: 

myrtle x mcgonagall: their student years at hogwarts overlapped! katie x cho, they were yearmates and both quidditch girls!  

the (cho/)fleur/angelina/tonks “older than golden trio” girls. cho/fleur (delachang) and flonks are the biggest ships (and i have a couple more flonks recs later), but any of these dynamics would be fascinating, imo.

-

there is a limited amount of room to play around if you aren’t open to softening the lightning gen slytherins (in the way a lot of drarry fandom does, queer lightning gen cuddle puddle) (which i do get, i personally have to be in a specific mood for it) - but if you are, there’s a ton more fic! on the longer end too, because the character journeys are typically longer.

i say that and here's a <3k sporty feels cho/pansy, HOT AS FUCK 

absolutely impeccable pansy/ginny double drabble by @nanneramma

delightful post war luna/pansy day at the beach 

if the slytherin x gryffindor dynamic does grab you and you’re okay with that level of ‘canon what canon?’ - there are a number of longer ginny/pansy, pansy/hermione, millicent/hermione, etc. that are as well crafted, plotted, worldbuilt, etc, as any drarry fic of that length - i’m particularly thinking of the largely 25-50k range written for WLWBB! 

-

some of hp femslash’s best kept secrets, imo: the incredible inventiveness of some of the rarepair fic - particularly those written around maybe the early-mid 2010s, though there are some in every year. examples: 

Independent Love Song by Writcraft: Millicent Bulstrode is a tailor and Ginny is losing her mind over a woman in a tweed blazer and burgundy brogues.

A swagger, a twinkle, and a fine arse on a broom by Woldy: Tonks lets her eyes linger on Hooch's spiky grey hair, her shining leather boots, and thinks If that woman's straight, then I'm a monkey's uncle.

Stylemagic by Woldy (luna/tonks): Who would have thought that Charing Cross Road was style central?

City Life by holyfant (tonks/ginny): They travel, find each other and themselves.

-

& since you mentioned meta, i have to shout out holyfant's essay for @femslashrevolution: Towards A Darker Femslash

I wanted to continue to write smaller pairings and explore female characters, too. And I did, but the point remains that when I look at my story stats now, it’s clear that my f/f stories are shorter in word count and are less varied in their plot and execution than my m/m stories. All this to show that I am 100% part of what I am about to describe: not a problem, per se, but an observation that I think is useful to be aware of and think about. The fact is that femslash, across fandoms, remains a niche category, and that while there are great amounts of people who read and write almost exclusively m/m this is barely ever the case for f/f.

i also really liked this other one On the personal as normal; on the normal as political:

I think one thing that stands out, from a majority of my interactions on this issue through the years, is the perception that the act of writing relationships among women is inherently political, in a way that the act of writing about relationships among men is not. The $64,000 question: do I agree with this? Are electrons particles, or waves?

-

going to close this off with one of my self indulgently favorite femslash, both ship and writer: i am in love with the way montparnasse writes second war fleur/tonks and how reminiscent it is of first war wolfstar, the tension of attraction set against the tension of the war. vibe quote included, because either you like her style or it’s not your taste - but if you do, there’s nothing quite like it!!

Six Penny, Seven Stone: Timing is everything. Tonks's was always just a little bit off-kilter.

Fleur accompanied her to exclusive pureblood parties that summer, posing as a personal assistant or dear live-in friend to Tonks’s erectile dysfunction potion heiress while they listened to one of the Yaxleys moan about the dilution of sanctified old blood and got handsy over hors d’oeuvres. Still Fleur seemed disappointingly unaffected by her spectacular breasts in a vicious push-up bra or the Dietrich-esque raised eyebrow/lit cigarette combo: she made advances and spurned Tonks’s and eventually after reporting to the Powers That Be after nights out ruffling robes in enemy territory they ended up at a neon-sleazy diner or got takeout and ate it at one of their flats—Tonks in Southwark, Fleur in Camden—until they fell asleep at opposite ends of the couch after sharing a joint or chamomile tea and watching X-Files and EastEnders reruns. In theory, they kept to their own sides as well as they could, but in practice, their limbs did often wander.

Obscure Topography: Sometimes, Tonks realizes, coming at each other from awkward angles makes you stick, elbows and all.

Sometimes, when she’s either very drunk or feeling particularly soppy, she feels like she can slow time itself down to a sluggish, tipsy trickle, where nothing else matters but her own beating heart and the turn of the world, or—here, now—Fleur’s skin and hips beneath her skin and hips, moving to a rhythm of their own, no time like what your body keeps in its hollows and curves. The brush of a thigh takes hours; the glide of fingers riding over ribs, and she loses track of the day. War and worry and shattered nerves are nothing next to this, meaningless without the strange, humorous patchwork of two hearts beating out of tune, where the radius of the whole world condenses down to the bed and they’re the only women alive in London for a while.

-

OKAY NO VERY LAST ONE

@consistentsquash's:

[camelliacats]

I posted 108 times in 2022

54 posts created (50%)

54 posts reblogged (50%)

I tagged 108 of my posts in 2022

#not a fic - 57 posts

#hp - 52 posts

#harry potter - 52 posts

#ask meme - 33 posts

#send me an owl - 33 posts

#fic rec friday - 31 posts

#mewling about haripo - 22 posts

#3rd pov - 19 posts

#romance - 18 posts

#angst - 13 posts

Longest Tag: 34 characters

#notif arrived just a few days ago~

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

you're nobody until somebody loves you (261-270/∞)

100-word drabbles for a range of ships. *Requests always welcome! Repeats allowed~*

Chapters 261-270: [FFN] [AO3] | ←   → | start from the beginning

Pairings/Characters: Oliver Wood/Terence Higgs, Victoire Weasley/Hannah Abbott, Regulus Arcturus Black/Frank Longbottom, Luna Lovegood/Blaise Zabini, Alecto Carrow/Narcissa Black, Theodore Nott/Draco Malfoy, Amelia Bones/Alice Longbottom, Harry Potter/Cedric Diggory, Percy Weasley/Penelope Clearwater, & Lily Luna Potter/Scorpius Malfoy

Rating: K

Words: 1,000 collectively

Additional info: romance, slash, femslash, cross gen, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, AU fic, Marauder era, Harry's era, Next Gen era, 2nd person POV, 3rd person POV

Summary: Song by Sammy Davis, Jr., 100-word drabbles by mew. So is unrequited love always unrequited? | Various pairings, eras, etc. Includes het, slash, femslash, cross-gen, next-gen, but nothing too bad. Read it all or only what you like!

See the full post

3 notes - Posted March 20, 2022

#4

a proper sit-down

My two favorite Marauders confiding… :'3

Fic: "a proper sit-down" [FFN] [AO3]

Pairings/Characters: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin

Rating: K+

Words: ~1,240

Additional info: romance, slash, lightangst, Maydayverse, Harry's era, 3rd person POV

Summary: With a new war on the horizon, Sirius and Remus finally have a chat, just the two of them, nearly fourteen years in the making…

See the full post

3 notes - Posted July 17, 2022

#3

Fic Rec Friday!

Though tagged as Percy/Alicia, this delightful drabble is more of a pre-Percelicia fic with an entertaining focus on Alicia’s friendship with Angelina and Katie. :D After all, who else knows you best, esp when you pipe up that perhaps the Weasley twins are getting a little carried away with their pranks? XD So of course Angelina and Katie have to get to the bottom of Alicia’s new tune... Bursting with friendship feels for the Gryffindor Quidditch witch trio, this drabble will surely put a smile on your face, so give it a read and leave a kind word in a review when it does~ -w-

Follow for more stories and recs with the minor characters!

3 notes - Posted June 24, 2022

#2

@sethmi - Oh, wow! Tysm for requesting for this ask meme! :’D And tysm for the compliments on this Drastoria fic of mine (as well as the follow <3). I’m super happy about that since I’ve got such set hcs about Draco and Astoria, and I’m rather fond of that fic, esp in the Maydayverse. :’)

5 notes - Posted July 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A Flight of Fancy

Aaaand this is what happens when you get to thinking about your freckled favs. XD

Fic: "A Flight of Fancy" [FFN] [AO3]

Pairings/Characters: Oliver Wood/Percy Weasley

Rating: K+

Words: ~2,490

Additional info: romance, slash, barely anyangst, fluff, Harry's era, 3rd person POV

Summary: Oliver's got something plaguing his thoughts, so he drags Percy out for a flight around the pitch with him.

See the full post

25 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[bee-a-garbage-shipper]

Black Sky 

By: Umei no Mai 

Ships: Xanxus/Harry Potter 

Last Updated: 2019-07-06 

Summary: When you're a Black, you're a Black and nobody gets to hold all the cards except you. Not a Dark Lord with a grudge, not a Headmaster with a prophecy and certainly not the world's most influential Mafia Family... Dorea is as much a Black as a Potter and she is not about to let anybody walk over her! A Fem!Harry story. Slow Build.

Opinion: This behemoth of a fic is amazing. The For Want Of A Nail makes sense and is built into the story. The crossover part is amazingly done as well and the mythology world building is well thought out. I really do have to recommend this fic and honestly all of Umei no Mai’s works.

[consistentsquash]

I love Contempt and also the other fics in Contempt verse. @danpuff-ao3 really nails the dirtyhotbadwrong character dynamics for Snarry.

Also Exaltation! One of my fav all time Snape fics. Eldritcher is just special <3 Definitely the only writer who could have made that pairing work. They are so earnest about their whackiness and the poetry is real <3

Need to read the others. Adding them to my TBR. No new recs from my side atm :/ I am behind on reading a lot of the new 2023 fics :/

But I am dropping a rec for the beautiful Fantastic Beasts by Delphi <3 One of my fav Snape rereads. Snape/Kettleburn.

My top 5 Snape fics!

I wanted to share some of my Snape fics in the hopes that you will share yours with me in the comments or in your own posts. These are my personal favorites that I go back to reread the most. I have my own favorite tropes, so these are all somewhat angsty, hurt/comfort, and you might notice Snape gets bathed in several of these lol. Warning, these fics contain sexual content and are NOT appropriate for all ages.

5. Contempt, by Danpuff (2022)

Snarry

I don't normally like Snarry but this blew me away. This is the best enemies to lover fic I've ever read. The line between hate and love is thin my friends.

Excerpt:

The black and the white material hang open around Snape's thin frame. He's not beautiful anywhere, is he? Pasty skin with marks of discoloration. Old, faded scars. Wiry black hair. Concave chest, prominent ribs, soft belly. Harry feasts his eyes on the ghastly sight and trails reverent fingers down. Down over flat brown nipples and a long raised scar. Over a patch of rough, brown skin. Over coarse black curls. His skin is warmer than Harry expected.

4. The Underground, by me, Chiwi_la_Capybara (2023)

HG/SS

This is a shameless plug of my own fic. But it is one of my favorites.

Excerpt:

Snape licked his lips, looked up at her from beneath heavy eyelids. She looked carefully back at him, at the double wrinkle at the corner of each eye, and the purple semicircles that ringed his lower lids. The long thick black eyelashes gave his eyes a melancholy cast.

There was a certain magnetism about him. She lifted up the blanket and drew close to him, laid his head on her shoulder and anchored him to her. The warmth of his body against hers felt as close to sex as anything she had known in the past five years. He blinked at her sleepily, and his black eyes were two moons. Snape slept with his face pressed into the crook of her neck, his warm breath sputtering over her throat. 

3. Traumlieder, by Rexluscus (2011)

Snape/Luna Warning, Luna is underage in this fic and there's dubious consent on both sides. This one's very smutty. Take this warning v seriously.

Snape being bewildered by Luna is such a joy. Rexluscus is an incredibly writer. They have this tone that's kind of sarcastic, kind of loving, and real perverse all at once.

Excerpt:

Snape dreamed of a creature. It had yellow hair and smelled like a cherry orchard, and it spoke with a voice both exotic and deeply, achingly familiar. Its hands were as delicate and fragile as a doll's, but its skin was warm and velvety as it tickled him below his navel. It was petting him, quieting him, and he was drifting into lassitude—all except for the exquisitely urgent want in his groin. The creature seemed aware of that; it was touching him there now, shocking like the touch of a naked flame, and as ecstasy radiated from his middle and flooded out the pain in his limbs he only now recognised by its absence... A warm breeze tickled his bare skin, and the creature laughed. He thought he could see its eyes somewhere far above him, round and lambent, like watery planets setting in a warm twilight.

2. Exaltation, by Eldritcher (2022)

Dudley/Snape.

I know Dudley and Snape sounds ick but trust me, its strange and wonderful. Only Eldritcher could have pulled this one off. Eldritcher once told me their writing has been influenced by the Greek poet Ovid, and you can tell.

Excerpt:

Harry was not taught to swim. Snape betrays the tell-tale signs of a man who has never learned to swim. Like Harry, Snape does not have fat on his bones to lift him up easy. He steps into the water, because Dudley asks him to. Dudley holds him by the waist, steadying him until he finds his level. Snape is pale, paler than the primroses closing and curling up for the night. It is all Dudley can do to refrain from catching the trembling bony shoulders to massage back the blood into circulation.

1. Self-Slain Gods on Strange Altars, Scumblackentropy (2013)\

SS/HG Warnings for an underage/student Hermione.

This is the fic that really got me into this fandom back when I was a teen. The writing is uneven, but Snape feels so real in this story.

Excerpt:

What, what, what?she asks herself as she slowly, slowly, slowly lets her palm flatten against his damp robes and slowly, slowly, slowly stands on tiptoe. His head pulls back as he tries to hold eye contact, but she never tries to look away. She vaguely registers that he has a long throat. Long. Muscled. Pale.

“You’re wrong.”

How?she asks herself as a strangled, indignant aching noise comes out of his mouth and she slowly, slowly, slowly presses herself into him, and his eyes widen in that way that breaks her heart, and she feels his blood-soaked body hard-angled and warm against hers, and she thinks that maybe she can forgive him.

[sitp-recs]

HP Rec Fest, Day 25

Merry Christmas everyone! I wrote this post for @hprecfest in a rush yesterday so I won’t be making a long intro but I’m so happy to be reccing these authors! I reckon OO is pretty popular - although this fic in particular remains somewhat a hidden gem - and Rilla is a rare pair master, everything they write is so good I could honestly rec anything from their catalogue but I’m going with a refreshing het ship today 🌝

Day 25) a fic rated T:

Drarry

The Snitch-Maker by Omi_Ohmy (T, 21k)

Draco is content with his Snitches, with the tap tap tap of his hammer, and the tiny gears and sharp scent of metal in his workshop - until one day Harry Potter appears, asking for help to solve a rash of Snitch-tampering in the Quidditch world.

I have a soft spot for this fic since I revisit it a lot and I’m pretty sure I’ve recced it before, but I’m doing it again bc it desserves way more love and appreciation! such a gorgeous and delicate, almost poetic, comfort read - I adore the quiet pacing and organic slow burn, soft, patient and mature. the odd jobs are really interesting (I am obsessed with the engineering behind snitches! 🤯) and fit both Harry and Draco like a glove; it’s so lovely to see them being passionate and comfortable in their own skin when it comes to work. finally, this is a gorgeous and sensitive portrayal of disabled Harry that shows how he navigates and comes to term with his own limitations. it is done in such a smooth, gentle and non-dramatic way, just like their romance. my heart ❤️

Rare pair

Spring Street by rillalicious (Harry/Pansy, T, 25k)

Harry's been undercover for eight years, on a case that's going nowhere fast. Then Pansy Parkinson is kidnapped, and everything changes.

I’ve been wanting to rec a het pair since the fest started and this is the perfect excuse! I know most people don’t care much for Hansy since they’re both so obviously queer in fandomland but I was immediately sold thanks to gorgeous art pieces (here and here) and this fic explores their dynamics exactly how I imagined. I love that it’s a case fic too, the plot keeps on giving and it’s so fun to uncover. if you’re a fan of noir-esque mysteries you’re gonna love this: it has a compelling narrative, amazing characterization (love seeing Moody here!), perfect pacing and a sexy and intriguing atmosphere that got me hooked. a great homage to the noir genre!

[ghaniblue]

Five Fav Recs

Thanks to @nv-md for the tag. Check out Ali's favs! I went multifandom for my fav self-recs so here goes.

Human | HP | Drarry | E | 27k

My latest and best beloved. So many firsts: longest fic, werewolf fic, knotting, alternating POVs. This fic was supposed to be a little one-shot gift fic, but then it grew plot. I loved the writing experience so very much.

An Improbable Bout of Summer Madness | HP | Drarry | E | 16k

This was the first longer fic I ever finished. I love the soft vibe, with dad!Draco and a sweetly earnest Harry. It's all about soft boys falling in love, and I love that for me.

The Problem With Non-Euclidean Geometry | HP | Drarry | T | 1,2k

Not many people click on this on AO3. A fic about geometry, what's not to like? I think it's elegantly understated and delicately angsty. I still can't believe how I went from the prompt to this.

Paper Cuts | Teen Wolf | Allison/Derek | E | 550

I remember being unable to read this after posting because it made me blush so hard. First PWP and I did not exactly resort to vague ephemisms here. I love messed up, unhealthy dynamics in my het ships.

Mated In Death | Les Miserables (book) | Montparnasse/his knife (?) | T | 300

I imprinted on Montparnasse when I read the book. So I wrote a fic from the POV of his knife.

Tagging @lou-isfake @corvuscrowned @xanthippe74 @kbrick @tackytigerfic, @the-starryknight, @veelawings (and anyone else who wants to share their favourite fics. Tag me so I can add more things to my mfl.)

[consistentsquash]

That Grindeldore fic! <3

Lots of things to say about Sultan & Scherazade... like the imagery, omg... but one of the images that stuck with me is the total joy/innocence Albus has in the first chapter when he is asking Gellert to wear the dress. I feel like it cuts to the heart of the series.

"Wear this!" he demanded, exuberant in passion as he was in all else.  He had flung a checkered dress at me. Bright yellow and white peacocks were embroidered dainty on its squares. It was not the first time he had embarked on outrageous exploits in our tryst. The travails of taking a lover whose mother was a whore. He had no sense nor shame.

Like whether they are under Kendra's roof or in the churches of Europe, Gellert just doesn't stop seeing that part of Albus where he was the holiest heart on that sacred ground, hallowed by a crown of June's sun stained by the colors of glass, and around, around, flew each sweet sound, now mixed, now one by one. 

Idk. That fic makes me feel Feels. Also Gellert giving mercy to Princip in the prison... Had he left behind a sweetheart? Who was his Josephine? Napoleon had died alone, in anguish, on Saint Helena. 

Also I find that fic a hard read because of the WWII history Albus and Gellert are witnessing on their Church Enemies with Benefits Tour.

A red field, with a white disc with a black swastika.  At world's turn, a man that had forgotten kissed me in parting.

Also the total contrast between Dumbledore and Voldemort. Also the carp.

From the west, he had come, this boy, and his magic had been specks upon the fierce gusts of winds through the narrow mountain passes of the Dinarides, and then a mist upon the ash woods that had woken to him, and then it had moved through stone and sorcery, until at last he had stepped into my cell, with carp on Christmas Eve.

Also ash/hawthorn/holly. It is hawthorn that heals the human heart :/ Oof the imagery is something I am never going to forget from that series.

Fic recs

I read a couple of fantastic fics recently, and they all deserve some love. So, giving them a shoutout. As Moments Do by @thecat-isblogging-blog

Canon compliant. Remus Lupin centric fanfic that follows him through OOTP and HBP. Chapter 3 has been updated and here is a chilling excerpt of Remus channeling his "Goodbye Peter" side:

Keep up, Peter. You’ll get lost. James would say. Wrong way, Peter.

Reaching the end of the platform Lupin called out in unison with James’ ghostly voice:

“Wrong way, Peter.”

Peter stopped in his footsteps, shoulders tensed just as Lupin pointed his wand to his exposed back.

Peter’s rat sense seemed to be keenly threaded to him. He turned to peer over his shoulder, the sliver of moonlight catching his nervous, watery eyes.

The Sultan and Scheherazade are One by eldritcher Grindeldore, with the most fantastically careful imagery. I am so taken by the prose of this author. Excerpt:

"I will build you a Rome," I promised him. 

"We will build us a Rome," he corrected me, placing an easy hand on mine.

"The Rome that the ancients yearned for, egalitarian," I murmured.

Our dreams were one, and our wills twined.  

Albus's hands came to clasp mine in his. The magic of him seeped into me, and mine unto him. 

Trothed became he and I, to man and cause, under a yew tree. 

The Snow Child by @saintsenara

A short folk horror story with Merope Gaunt, Tom Riddle Snr, and of course Voldemort.

Excerpt:

Merope has seen the little boy too. 

He comes to her window - she sleeps on the floor of the kitchen, while Morfin and Marvolo sleep in their one, tiny bedroom - and peers in. He has his father’s face, and his father's jet black hair, but his skin is unnatural, waxy and snow-pale, and his eyes are as red as blood.

‘I created you,’ she says to him. ‘I dreamed of you and now you are real.’

The boy shakes his head. ‘I am not yet real, because my father does not believe. You must make him.’

Merope nods. 

Bistable by TheDivine Comedian

Always a sucker for OOTP era Sirius and Remus, and I adored this one shot.

Excerpt:

James, he thinks. James. I am walking to my grave.

The train stops with a shudder and he nearly loses his precarious footing. Turn around , James says. Turn around now. You’ll go mad in there again.

Sirius laughs under his breath. Like anyone would notice. Besides, this is for you.

The James in his mind huffs and shuts up. Spilled out onto the platform, Sirius once again comes face to face with his own mugshot, a faded print on a tattered wanted poster.

Think/ Hope by @whinlatter

Post break up, bittersweet Hinny, with RON cameo? Sign me up. Cutting out an excerpt from the larger rhythm (you'll know when you read it) of this fic feels blasphemous, but I committed to the format:

He flops down on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table, eats straight from the hot plastic as he flicks through channels. The nine o'clock news is all budget this, Hong Kong that, Tim Henman out at Wimbledon. The nine o’clock news is not Dumbledore's dead, Snape murdered him, there’s a war on, Harry Potter's dropped out of school to go hunt bits of Voldemort's dismembered soul.  

Dropped out of school, he thinks. Scandalous, delinquent. What d'you reckon? he asks the Ginny in his head. Harry Potter, troubled dropout? Do anything for you? The Ginny in his head laughs. 

I also recently made other fic recs here: Nymphadora by @bluethepineapple and a bunch here for a rarepair tag game