#hp fandom femslash recs

[consistentsquash]

5 Fandom things I am thankful for - 2022 edition!

HP fandom

@hpsaffics + their WLW Library. I have been reading so much femslash this year especially in the hopeful femslash shortfic category. This collection has a ton of curated femslash. Lots of older character femslash here which is my jam.

The Bravest Man by @ac1d6urn. HP fandom Snarry Fancomic. Omg the art is beautiful, the emotions are intense and perfect and the story is just brilliant. It made me cry a ton because it was so moving. My heart just! I am a big fan of how Acid handles queer themes especially coming out and self acceptance. So beautiful. This is hands down my favorite fic/art/fanwork from HP fandom in 2022.

Other fandoms

Ossuarium by eldritcher. HOTD/ASOIAF fic that covers the full Dance. Absolutely stunning. The best series I have read in any fandom in my whole time in fandom. Yes it is technically a fic. But it's also a symphony. The stories line up like panels of art. This will make you cry. But it will also make you feel everything you can + things you didn't know you were capable of feeling. Somebody said that they met their literal soul reading this. This. So much this.

The Sign of the Four, the Comic @sign-of-four-comic by Itsasta. Book Sherlock Holmes based comic. It's brilliant, funny and has the same vibes of the book. Reblogging this is honestly the main reason I have Tumblr :D It's so good!

@alda-rana did Discworld Inktober. Honestly. This is everything. I am really in love with their art style. The "core" feel of Discworld is really hard to explain but their art does perfect justice to it. It's brilliant. Check out this amazing, amazing scene from Moving Pictures.

[crazybutgood]

banner created by the wonderful @getawayfox 💖

This short story reclist has fics featuring colours in various ways, in the spirit of the upcoming Holi festival~

Check out the previous short story list here !

Baste the Rainbow by @vukovich (Draco/Harry) (E, 1267)

Harry’s day had been so bad, he'd been sent home early to relax. A shower was just the ticket, and he walked into the bedroom, destined for...

Draco was sprawled out against a nest of pillows, mobile in one hand, cock in the other, and a rainbow of dots arranged up the center of his entire torso.

Widened grey eyes drifted toward him. Caught.

"You're home early," Draco murmured, startled.

Love Found by @peachpety (Draco/Harry) (E, 7500)

During Harry’s sixth year, Draco Malfoy joins the Order as a double-agent and continues with his task to get the Death Eaters into the castle as assigned by Voldemort. Draco succeeds with his mission the evening Harry returns from the caves with Dumbledore. The boys reunite on the Astronomy Tower and, with the Death Eater’s arrival, are forced to engage in a fight, driving Harry to come to terms with his feelings about true friendship and romantic love.

punch-drunk fingerprints by @tamerofdarkstars (Draco/Harry) (T, 1983)

In a world where every touch of a soulmate leaves a temporary heat mark on bare skin, Draco Malfoy suddenly finds his life devolving into a massive cliche because the Boy Who Lived Twice has no idea how to respect the personal space bubble.

A Heart So Colourful ♡ by @lumosatnight (Ron/Viktor) (E, 1532) 

Rita Skeeter’s article dropped on Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday morning, it was posted all over Hogwarts. Not even Filch’s personal quarters had been overlooked (though why a student would risk sneaking in there, Merlin only knew). By Thursday, even the professors were talking about it. By Friday, the Minister, himself, was Flooing his associates across the pond.

Viktor Krum was gay, and he had asked Ronald Weasley to the Yule Ball.

Naked in Neon by LittleSixx (Dean/Blaise) (E, 5263)

It is theme night at Padma Patil's nightclub, The Sugar Quill. Models are available to be painted however the patrons like, but Blaise Zabini sees Dean Thomas across the club so he gets creative.

Stains by @makeitp1nk (Draco/Harry) (T, 100)

For domaystic prompt - painting the walls

dead beauty by untilourapathy (gwendolen_lotte) (Fleur/Tonks) (G, 1243) 

Where Fleur is white noise and Tonks is her colour.

Spots of Colour by luminae (Luna/Ginny) (T, 252)

Ginny would let Luna do anything if it means she hears her laugh.

Sun Colours by DramioneDreaming (Luna/Ginny) (T, 503) 

Written for the Rare Pairs Last Drabble Writer Standing contest hosted by DramioneLDWS, a short Luna/Ginny based on the colour Yellow.

You Paint in Colours That Don’t Exist by fluorescencx (Draco/Harry) (T, 4517)

Draco wasn’t happy. All the world was grey.

[siriusly-sapphic]

Marauders Femslash Recs (Dorcissa)

Dorcas/Narcissa is my absolute favourite femslash ship at the moment, and since @midnightelite asked me for some fic recs the other day, I decided to format them into an actual rec list!

These are all Dorcas/Narcissa, with their rating, WC, and warnings, and summaries and thoughts for the longer fics. I didn't include my own dorcissa fics, but those are on AO3 here and here!

The list is under the cut!

wishing on broken stars by evawrites (@evadwrites)

20,000 words | 2023 | Rated Teen Summary: And maybe, if Narcissa was brave like Andromeda or fearless like Bella, something would have happened sooner; maybe, Dorcas would have made her burn brighter in all the years before instead of burning her out on their last night. The world was full of maybes, and Dorcas Meadowes was Narcissa’s biggest one. Other notes: Gorgeous first war AU, I’m biased because this was a birthday present for me, but Eva’s writing is incredible and I love the way she writes Dorcas.

dancing in new york, no shoes by evawrites

2222 words | 2023 | Rated General Summary: Dorcas Meadowes—a fiercely soft, beautiful mess Narcissa Black can’t help but love. Or: Narcissa moves to New York, falls in love with Dorcas, finds family in Mary and Marlene, and then goes back to England to steal a baby, reconnect with her estranged sister, and break her cousin out of prison. The Dark Lord works hard, but Narcissa Black works harder. She is certainly more competent than Wizengamot, too. Other Notes: Not a modern AU, beautifully insane and dynamic First War AU, found family to the max.

Artistry by pansystan (storytellerdorian)

1637 words | 2017 | Rated General Summary: Narcissa was certain she’d never seen this girl before, and yet she strolled into the small, on-campus Starbucks and made easy conversation with the rumpled looking barista as though she’d done it a thousand times before. She couldn’t help but notice that this girl was both very pretty and very out of her league. Other notes: Delightful little coffeeshop AU, Narcissa is perfectly herself even in a modern AU and we love that bitch for it.

you’re only special because I made you so by phobos_irl

4366 words | 2021 | Rated Teen Summary: Narcissa fell in love with Dorcas, long ago. but she could not give up her family, not even for love, not even because of their rotten beliefs. but then Andromeda does, she gives it all up, for the same reasons she couldnt. what keeps her, then ? Other Notes: It’s a past relationship, Narcissa regrets her choices and wishes she’d been braver, there’s angst, there’s a much needed conversation with Andromeda (it’s a big focus in the fic!), it’s great.

can no longer hold on by sweet sapphic pickles (picklesonsaturday) (@picklesonjupiter)

790 words | 2023 | Rated Teen Summary: Dorcas and Narcissa have a secret relationship because she is engaged to Lucius Malfoy. Other Notes: It’s sad, and it’s so sweet, and then it still ends sad. Stolen moments that get a little tarnished because you know in the end your lover’s always gonna go back to her Proper life.

Fire In The Dungeons by amidsthechaos

1203 words | 2018 | Rated General Summary: Narcissa and Dorcas take a night time stroll through the castle. Other Notes: Dorcas sets a fire, Narcissa has to stay in the Gryffindor dormitory with her, and of course that’s where they have their first kiss! Genuinely so cute.

In Common by herochick007 (@herochicklyrrie007)

347 words | 2023 | Rated Teen Summary: Dorcas hears someone making fun of Narcissa, she deals with it. Other Notes: Sneaky and defensive Dorcas is the best Dorcas. Some guys are spreading rumours, Dorcas deals with them in a fitting way. Narcissa, obviously, love her for it. It’s so sweet.

The following are some gorgeous microfics (fics 200 words or shorter) about dorcissa that I love to death:

at what cost by sweet sapphic pickles (picklesonsaturday): General, 100 words, happy ending Hearts Apart by RottenPleasures (@caitiewantstobeavadakedavrad): Teen, 119 words, MCD, hurt/no comfort lemon orchard by sweet sapphic pickles (picklesonsaturday): General, 85 words, fluff, lemons (the actual fruit) living is sacrifice by sweet sapphic pickles (picklesonsaturday): General, 64 words, MCD, Grief Morning, Sunshine by RottenPleasures: General, 48 words, domestic fluff regret is oversteeped tea by sidewave (@padaminpadam): General, 50 words, break up

[givereadersahug]

💝 HP Rec Fest 2023 - Day 3

Dreamwidth Post

I will be doing them out of order, and hopefully tackle them all, if time permits.

Let's get to it!

🐍 The Merryweather Hotel - Podfic by starduchess / Fic by Conzieu Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Rated E

Twelve years after the fall of Voldemort, the wizarding world faces the threat of ever decreasing birth rate and eventual extinction. The return of one man from self-imposed exile brings a solution, though not without controversy. While insuring the man’s protection, Auror Harry Potter discovers that curses sometimes carry hidden blessings.

🐝 Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) - Podfic by randomicicle / Fic by busaikko Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/Severus Snape, Rated E

AU. In the aftermath of October 31st, 1981, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black try to set their differences aside to keep Harry safe.

🦋 Plenitude - Podfic by @wilfriede / Fic by eldritcher Hermione Granger/Amelia Bones, Rated M

Hers soon an hour of plenitude.

🐞 Memo - Podfic - sisi_rambles / Fic by @kellychambliss Gen, Rated T

After she makes a surprise visit to Hogwarts, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission writes a report. Set during Deathly Hallows.

[sugareey-makes-stuff]

It's still the 15th, which means it's also @lumosatnight's birthday!

I'm so lucky to have Lani as a fandom friend, and I'm super impressed and proud of everything they've done for our lovely magical community. The energy Lani has brought to microfic creations and sapphics ships has been tremendous and what they've cultivated for us through servers and fests has been what we've all needed for ages (thanks for spoiling us!). Also, their humour and enthusiasm always brightens up my day, either via the HP Sapphics server, DMs or their posts that pop up on my dash. So, here's some tiny art I made to go with Lani's lovely Narlily series, A Consolation (E, 1.6k, with 32 microfics from Microfic May, HP Femslash Microfics and HP Flowers). What an impressive and mind-blowing group of microfics these are (together and on their own), considering how few words were used for each one to tell such an angsty (and spicy) story. Kuddooos! There's so much potential that can be explored with this lovely ship because Narcissa and Lily are 100% playing with fire with their attraction to each other, and it's sooo gooddd! ANYWAYY. Lani, happiest birthday, and I hope you had an amazing day. Cheers!

[sitp-recs]

I grew up as Draco/Hermione shipper (since I was very young) but when I last reread HP, I became Harry/Draco shipper! I can't explain why I used to be Dramione shipper (when all the vibes are always between Harry and Draco). Now, I realized that Hermione is still my fav characters but I don't ship her with anyone now (since I was young, I always dislike Romione ship and hate it when that ship was canon at the end). Sorry for my rant.

Thanks so much for your Drarry fics recs! Can, I ask for Drarry fics where Hermione have an important role, too? Oh yeah, between Harry and Draco, who do think is the one who fell first and fell harder?

Hi anon! I’ve never been into Dramione myself, but I feel like the Dramione -> Drarry pipeline is very common in this fandom! I also love Hermione as a character (I don’t identify with her as much as I used to as a kid, but I still find her fascinating and love seeing her portrayed as a complex, layered character in fic!). Despite also loving Ron and the “idea” of them together, I don’t care much for canon straight ships in general so I tend to read her in femslash pairings. Nothing wrong with that, the heart wants what the heart wants :)

I’m reccing some of my favorite Drarry fics with Mione as a relevant character, I hope you enjoy these. As for your last question, I’m super flexible with those headcanons because I’ve read all kinds of tropes and loved them all! Personally, I lean towards the idea that Draco fell first and Harry fell harder ☺️ what about you??

Intelligence by aideomai (T, 6k)

“I don’t believe it,” Ginny said, voice low with venom and fury. “Did you know?” “I knew there was a spy,” Hermione said.

Find The Balance by lauren3210, Obliviate_Amores (M, 15k)

After Harry gives Draco his wand and goes back to using his own, they both start having trouble making them work. Finding out why is a lot simpler than fixing the problem.

Turn From Stone by @harryromper (M, 45k)

Harry knows there’s nothing he can do to stop Hermione (war hero, historian, author of the reissued “Hogwarts: A History”) once she sets her mind to something. Even an extremely risky last-ditch effort to restore the ancient castle and lay its newest ghosts to rest. What he wasn’t counting on was her insistence that Draco Malfoy be part of the plan.

The Pure and Simple Truth by lettered (G, 65k)

Harry, Draco, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, and Pansy go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Ron go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy―you guessed it―go to a pub. I could go on. In fact, I did. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Pansy, Ron, Blaise, Luna, Goyle, Neville, and Theodore Nott go to a pub. In various combinations.

Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love by @aibidil (E, 80k)

In which a group of wizards' rights activists goes on the offensive after a prohibition against love potions, forcing the magical world to confront the horror of magic's role in sexual assault and the murky legal nature of consent. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Draco are swept together to solve the case, and in the process they're made to confront their own love and lust—with and without potions.

Two to Lie and One to Listen by @fluxweeed (E, 85k)

It’s weird when Hermione announces that she and Ron have broken up. It’s weirder when this is followed by the revelation that she’s already moved on—and the new object of her affections is Draco Malfoy.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

From Ashes by Caedes12 (E, 150k)

When Draco comes back for eighth year, he starts an unexpected friendship with Hermione Granger. Between his new friendship and his parents kicking him out of the house, Draco's life starts down a new path.

[givereadersahug]

This sounds delightful! I've been hearing about HP_Beholder from @consistentsquash. I think it's finally time for me to dive straight in!

I also need more Minerva in my life. MOAR, I say! *nods*

HP Femslash Friday

I've been in HP fandom for quite a while (since 2008), during which time literally thousands of fanfics have been written. Thus it's easy to lose track of all the wonderful older stories and artworks. So I thought I'd start a new tradition for myself: every Friday, I'll rec an HP femslash story or artwork that might be unfamiliar to many fans. Most of these recs will feature the older HP women, since that's where my heart lies. But younger characters won't be absent. Today's gem comes from the 2009 edition of HP_Beholder, imo one of the best fests ever to grace the HP fandom.

Title: A Toast to Lord Voldemort

Author: Magnetic Pole

Pairing: Minerva McGonagall/Augusta Longbottom

Word Count: 4500

Rating: PG

Author's Summary: Neville joins an unexpected celebration.

Why I Love It: Not only is Magnetic Pole a fine writer, but she's also created spot-on characterizations. Minerva and Augusta are just as matter-of-fact, tart-tongued, and self-sufficient as you'd expect. Neville is a delight. And the magical world-building is exactly right.

[hpsaffics]

🕊 WLW Wed: Dead Dove 🕊

A jointly compiled HP femslash rec list made by the lovely members of the HP SAFFICS discord server. See all previous rec lists in the WLW Library on Tumblr or AO3!

Currently: Dead Dove Do Not Eat Previously: MCD (see list)

!WARNING! This list contains fics with dark and disturbing topics. Even the summaries could be potentially triggering. Please proceed with caution and remember one of the basic rules of fandom: Don't Like, Don't Read.

This list was made in collaboration with @danpuff-ao3 and her Dead Dove Diaries Series. Go check it out for more dead dove recs!

—

🕊 LONG (>10k) 🕊

Of Blood & Carnations by rice_and_beans [Fleur/Hermione, E, 17.7k] 🖤 CW: Dubious Consent, Body Horror

The war is over. It is a time for healing. The Order has invested in a sort of intensive therapeutic house for our heroes to recuperate... So why does Hermione feel worse? Is she going mad? She's hearing voices, and she feels more and more that her body is not her own.

Clip, Ravel, Cleave by @vdoshu [Bellatrix/Andromeda, E, 15.2k] 🖤 CW: Sibling Incest, Possessive Behavior, Non-consensual Pregnancy, Addiction

Before Andromeda met Ted, she was a Black, through and through. While years later the story was told that she’d turned her back on her family’s dark ways, in truth, nothing was so simple. In the beginning, it was just Andromeda and Bella. And it was just the two of them until it was too much.

The Haunting of Pavenham Manor by @venom0usbarbie [Hermione/Pansy, E, 10.1k] 🖤 CW: Violence, MCD, Torture, Horror, Mind Manipulation

Her dead mother had asked her to return. To witness their past in Pavenham Manor with fresh eyes—those of the woman she had become, and not the child she once was. Pansy dreaded the delusions, the mania that seemed to overcome her mother eighteen years ago—but the estate was within her reach, so close she could touch it, feel it. So she agreed. To put the past behind her once and for all, to learn to forgive her mother, to forgive herself.

—

🕊 MEDIUM (3-10k) 🕊

Happy Birthday! by fandomgalore [Bellatrix/Andromeda, M, 8.6k] 🖤 CW: Offscreen Rape/non-con, Aftermath of Torture, Manipulation

Bellatrix's life as seen through sent and unsent birthday letters.

shake off your flesh, run from the light by @iamsiriuslyriddikulus [fem!Barty/fem!Evan, E, 6.6k] 🖤 CW: BDSM, Bloodplay, Knifeplay, Woundfucking, Drugged Sex, Murder

It starts with a confession. Beatrice never meant to let it slip, but the Firewhiskey loosened her tongue until she found herself leaning over to Evan and saying, “Sometimes I prefer to kill them with a knife.”

fuck or die (a little death) by foxglovetonic (nocturn) [Hermione/Bellatrix, E, 5.3k] 🖤 CW: Rape/non-con, violence, torture, bloodplay, forced drug use

“I thought you’d missed me.” Bellatrix traces one long nail across the girl’s cheek, then slaps her hard across the face. “We’ve got five more days to break this curse, and I intend to use them to the fullest.” 

where dust was once man by @slashmarks [Narcissa/Lily, T, 3.4k] 🖤 CW: Necromancy, Dark Magic, Dubious Consent

Terrified of losing her son to the Dark Lord's plotting, Narcissa is haunted by the memory of another woman who faced the same threat.

As Easy As Breathing by @siriusly-sapphic [Dorcas/Narcissa, E, 3.1k] 🖤 CW: Cannibalism, Corpse Desecration, Blood and Gore

The First War is raging around them and Dorcas and Narcissa have found themselves on opposite sides. That little detail hasn't lessened their devotion to each other, and they're just as determined as they've always been to come out on top, together. They know just how to accomplish their goal, and all it takes is a touch of dark magic, some patience, a disregard for what's right. It's easy, really.

—

🕊 SHORT (<3k) 🕊

A Night at the Loo by @cntrl15 [Hermione/Narcissa, E, 2.5k] 🖤 CW: Rape/non-con, Mind Control

The conditions of Narcissa’s parole restrict her to house arrest, unless personally accompanied by her designated parole officer. Luckily for her, Hermione isn’t a very good parole officer.

Poster of a Girl by @leftsidedown [trans!Sirius/Bellatrix, M, 2.0k] 🖤 CW: Cousin Incest, Rape/non-con, Underage

It’s not a tragedy that she’s born a boy. Sirius loves all her older sisters, and they accept her too.

Five Things That Happend To Pansy Parkinson That She Wished Hadn't by Anonymous [Bellatrix/Pansy, E, 1.4k] 🖤 CW: Rape/non-con, Underage, Violence, Torture, Mind Control, Grooming

Bellatrix takes Pansy under her wing for the cause of the dark side and it all goes wrong.

Maraschino Red by @lumosatnight [Hermione/Luna, E, 1.2k] 🖤 CW: Cannibalism, Vore, Blood, Painplay

Luna eats blood for breakfast, limbs for dinner, and hearts for dessert. Luckily, Hermione has lots to spare.

The Perfume and Suppliance of a Minute by Lillielle [Hermione/Bellatrix, M, 260] 🖤 CW: Rape/non-con, Underage, Sex Under Imperius, Stockholme Syndrome

Hermione is lost, and Bellatrix has found her. At what price?

Death Eater Art Appreciation by @schmem14 [The Fat Lady/Alecto, E, 200] 🖤 CW: Rape/non-con, Extortion, Forced Exhibitionism

Alecto steals Gryffindor's entrance portrait for sick and twisted reasons.

desperately mine by @fantasyborn [Astoria/Daphne, M, 200] 🖤 CW: Sibling Incest, Infidelity, Non-consensual Voyeurism

Her sister may be set to marry Draco Malfoy but Astoria will always belong to Daphne.

—

🕊 Want more Dead Dove femslash? 🕊

@hpdeaddove | AO3

@eatyourheartoutfest | AO3

@hp-deaddovedecember | AO3

Dead Dove: Tag on AO3

WLW Library: Tumblr | Tag | AO3

[consistentsquash]

23 dirty/hot/bad/wrong Slash Fics from 23 Years with 23 Pairings! (2001-2023)

This year is pretty rough for me but really excited to make a list I have been planning to make for like years now. Good old fashioned dirty/bad/hot/wrong with a twist. Some of the most complicated fics out there which use sex for exposition and do it really, really brilliantly.

AO3 Collection for the list

Rec notes

No blurbs this time because these fics are really dirty/hot/bad/wrong Experiences. You need to read them to get them. Trust me. They are way beyond my blurb writing skills. Also for the older fics it was hard to find exact dates so I just did my best.

These fics are 100% on AO3! Yay!

No repeat pairings, no repeat authors.

Rec lists are subjective based on my reading. YMMV. If a fic is not your thing, just be a good fandom citizen. Don't Like Don't Read.

  2001: Descent by Delphi. Snape/Albus.

2002: Sans Merci by Predatrix. Snape/Lucius.

2003: Nemesis by Juxian Tang. Lucius/Sirius

2004:Cut With Diamonds by pauraque. Ron/Peter

2005: Learning from Orpheus by Amanuensis. Harry/Marauders

2006: In the Lady's Name by rinsbane. Narcissa/Bellatrix

2007: Trappings of Privilege by orphan_account. Snape/Draco

2008 : Better the Instruction by Celandine. Teddy/Remus, Remus/Stubby

2009 : Alive by MaxWrite. Barty Jr./Percy

2010 : Bitter on the Tongue by Woldy. Remus/Snape

2011 : The Placebo Sequence by Snegurochka. Harry/Draco

2012 : King of Beasts by @kellychambliss. Kingsley/Moody

2013 : Comme un Rêve de Pierre by @squibstress. Bill/Stan Shunpike

2014 : Catullus 16 by eldritcher. Harry/Voldemort

2015 : Nowhere to Fall by @gracerene. Albus Severus/James Sirius

2016 : Fallen Angel by PurpleFluffyCat. Gilderoy/Snape

2017 : Hidden, Safe and Sound by @unmistakablyoatmeal. Harry/Sirius

2018 : Soft Touch by @perverse-idyll. Harry/Snape

2019 : Until My Bones Are Tired by @writcraft. Poppy/Molly

2020 : As Soft As Fur by monkiainen. Sirius/Snape, Sirius/Lucius

2021 : Teardrop in Your Palm by @danpuff-ao3. Scorpius/Harry

2022 : Till Tomorrow and Till Death by @thistlecatfics. Regulus/Remus

2023 : Unbreakable Vows by sky_watcher_rose. Narcissa/Druella

[givereadersahug]

Second Life!!!! Still my mission to get everyone who even give a hint of reading Sirius/Severus fics to read that fic, which I'm sure you're tired of me talking about it, Squash. 🤣 One of the very, very few where I DMed live reads to someone as I devoured the fic. (I don't DM people as I read a fic. 😂) I also ugly cried. That's also rare. 🤣

And oh! I haven't read any other fics on the list. I must get to it! Thanks for reccing, OP! <3

Fic recs

Other Women and of Purer Blood by @saintsenara

Summary: Narcissa is adrift, rattling around Malfoy Manor, when an equally lonely man comes into her lonely life.

Thoughts: I have been wanting a story that contextualises the sexual charge and familiarity we see between Snape and Narcissa in Spinner's End for ages (canon compliant, that is) and this story is a lovely backstory to that. It also captures Snape in transition: Snape still ironing out his northern accent, how his movements are still spider-like. He is in the process of becoming the adult Snape we see in canon: whose speeches are a performance, and how he irons out the awkwardness of his movements in adulthood.

Excerpt:

Snape looks completely wrong in the flowery bower where Dobby has set out tea. His sallow awkwardness seems to repel the summer, even though Narcissa suspects he must be baking in his layers of shabby black robes. 

He doesn’t have the fine manners of the sort of person who normally comes to tea with the Malfoys. He eats quickly, and slurps his tea, and looks at the cakes with the greedy eyes of a boy who isn’t used to treats. Lucius would be disgusted, to have a greasy half-blood at his table spraying crumbs everywhere. She imagines the expression of horrified confusion on his pointy face and giggles.

Snape immediately goes scarlet and puts down his tea-cup.

In Infinite Remorse of Soul by @perverse-idyll

Summary: Albus Dumbledore never makes the same mistake twice. Certainly not in love.

Thoughts: My very first Snumbledore, which is a frightening meditation on the very vast power dynamics between Snape and Dumbledore from the hilltop scene in Deathly Hallows and expanding the very personal reaction Dumbledore had towards the wayward young Death Eater. Perverse Idyll is among the best writers in the fandom, brimming with words and fantastic imagery that just stays with you.

Excerpt:

"My boy," Albus says almost kindly, because kindness is something that mystifies his young servant. Severus' eyes dart upwards, apprehensive, accusing, and Albus can see the darkness inside the boy clawing to reach him. Guilt calling to guilt.

The moment quivers and thins until he judges that Severus has had enough and is about to rebel. A harsh rasp draws his attention. He looks down at the bruised, blackened fingernail scraping across stone.

"My boy," he sighs. "You never fail to disgust me."

The ritual word strikes Severus down. His obstinate body shrinks, wings of hair flapping forward to shut his scowling face from view.

To Build A Home by @mblematic

Summary: 1978-1981: Sirius stumbles on something in the woods, Sirius and Remus stumble into each other, everyone stumbles into the war.

Thoughts: First War hijinks, dysfunctional Wolfstar - I was fed! I cannot rave enough about the gorgeous, subtle writing of relationships (the author really captures this raw, visceral vulnerability between two friends who are attracted to each other and how it explodes in heightened tension of war) and there is some fantastic world building and mirroring. Excerpt: Later, Sirius would remember almost everything from this night with crystal clarity except the sky, which in reality was clouded but in his memory would be open, star-studded, expansive and unknowable as the future. He’d remember, correctly, that the wolf was different than it had been at Hogwarts. He’d remember the restless, brutal, snarling fury, all of it undercut with a fear so intense it had its own meaty weight. The night took Sirius by surprise and he spent the whole long stretch of it trying to put himself back on track, trying to reacquaint himself with the wolf, and trying to convince them both that they remembered each other. At one point he found himself literally between Remus’ jaws, helpless and pliant, mewling like a supplicant. This, too, he would remember for the rest of his life. 

Second Life by Cassandra, nwhiker Summary: What happens when two men are given a second chance.

Thoughts: I finally got around to reading one of the most recommended Snirius fics out there. Beautiful, understated, deeply emotional - the authors take you on a journey with the two of them post war. It also feels....old?? As in, the kind of perspective this fic has is the perspective of someone in late 30s (which both Snape and Sirius are in this fic, post war). There is a fragile, "who else will understand what our generation went through?" running through the vein of this fic.

Excerpt:

It was like walking into a tiny garden in the tropics, and he was reminded of some of the places he'd visited while on the run after his escape from Azkaban. There were hundreds of plants, most of them unfamiliar, and a large table was filled with orchids. There was a tree, which turned out to be a frangipani, its white flowers soft and sweet. A delicate white flower with an exquisite fragrance that Snape said was bouvardia. Along one wall were plants Sirius recognised from Potions classes, wolfsbane and asphodel, wormwood and sopohorous, a shrivelfig tree, and others he'd seen but didn't know the names of.

"I'm not supposed to have them," Snape said.

Sirius turned to him. Snape was staring down an orchid, brushing planting mix from the edge of its pot.

Al Aaraaf by eldritcher

Summary: There is a place between heaven and hell.

Thoughts: An unsettling, poetic horror fic featuring a grieving Walburga Black. The whole fic is structured like a poem, with rhythm and repetition and metaphor shining through.

Excerpt:

He had her face. He had her scowl. He had her loathsome, loathing heart that mourned and loved. Hell dwelled in him, as a warm and heartful thing calved of mother.

The last of earth's make she held was son. His hands were placed in prayerful clasp over her belly.

The lamb in her was of Tartary, born of son fed and killed with milk and honey, birthed of widow's mourning.

"It is all right," Sirius said, and held her to him as if she weren't damned.

Runaway Boys by Delphi

Summary: Severus dreams of pirates, and Lily closes the nursery window. Thoughts: I'm not sure if I have recommended this fic before, but I am recommending it again, just in case. This is a wonderfully strange coming of age, a tale of puberty told in dreams/ fantasies featuring Snape and Captain Hook. Excerpt:

"Severus S—" He cuts himself off and then tentatively amends: "Prince. Severus Prince."

It's a better name, he's decided. His new friends at school know the Princes, but they've never heard of any Snapes.

"That is a fine name, Mr. Prince," the man says. "As for me, I am Captain James Hook."

A large hand extends into the branches, and after a moment, Severus carefully leans down and shakes it.

"Pleased to meet you," Severus says.

"Are those friends of yours?" the captain asks, nodding towards the neighbouring island, where the boys are now riding wild ponies bareback, jousting with each other using lances made of hollow reeds.

Severus shrugs. Of course, he thinks, the man would rather know them.

Note: Please check the pairings and tags in each of these fics and keep in mind your own triggers :)

[crazybutgood]

Jan and Feb ao3 reads

Combining these for the first two months as y'all helped me decide through the poll :) Here's the list, sorted by ships/character(s):

Parvati by @sleepstxtic (Parvati) (G, 634)

“Like you and appa?” you ask, propping yourself up on the kitchen counter and crossing your legs in anticipation. Your mother’s stories are always the best.

Found family by @tracingpatternswrites (Harry & Sirius, Sirius/Remus) (G, 3817)

Harry wants to get Sirius a Christmas gift, but what do you give a godfather that you don't even know? He asks Remus for help./Set during Order of the Phoenix, Christmas at Grimmauld Place.

Needs Must by @rockingrobin69 (Draco/Harry) (E, 2023)

Draco can't - bring himself to - hard and aching, on the floor by himself, dying with it. Luckily, Potter is inevitable.

Visions Of A Life by @corvuscrowned (Draco/Harry) (M, 3959, WIP)

Seven years after the war, Harry discovers a secret at the bottom of an old leather bag that once belonged to his godfather. As he pieces together a long-hidden history, he slowly unravels an elemental truth about both Sirius and himself.

and a spoonful of sugar by @corvuscrowned @amorsindolor @secretartlair (Draco/Harry) (G, 7675, Art)

Harry and Teddie's gender potions may be life-saving, but they taste absolutely terrible. And if finding a solution to this means that Harry can spend more time with a certain blond-haired potioneer… Well, that's nothing but a coincidence.

Wake Up by @kittycargo (Draco/Harry) (G, 695)

Draco won't let Harry sleep.

Like You a Latte by @peachpety @hogwartsfirebolt (Draco/Harry) (M, 1627, Instagram edits)

Harry Potter has mastered the skill of creating latte art. Or so he thinks until his muse and crush—Instagram influencer Draco Malfoy—shows up at the Weasley’s café./Or: the one where a cock brings them together.

(got my love to keep me) warm by @beyondtheclose (Draco/Harry) (T, 1160)

"Draco?" Harry whispers, padding quietly on socked feet into the living room. "Is that you?/Harry can just make out the outline of Draco turn towards them in the dark. He has his knees pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them and is lit only by the faint glow of the dying fire./"Yeah,” Draco says just as softly. "It's me."/Draco braids Harry's hair.

Washes and Wishes by @danpuff-ao3 (Severus/Harry) (M, 300)

Harry and Severus take a bath.

I WANNA SEE SOME ARSE by @the-francakes (Theo/Harry) (E, 10577)

Harry Potter has a beautiful arse./Round and plump. Made of pure muscle and just enough fat that it'll probably give a lovely jiggle if you spank it. It’s like a peach that bounces with each step; a bruise would be both a shame and delight./Theo is sure he’s about to drown in the amount of drool in his mouth that he can’t swallow down fast enough. And he’s a good swallower. He’s been told that multiple times.“You and Potter will be rooming together,” Draco says, slapping the hotel key into Theo’s chest./Theo chokes on his spit. “What…fuck? Why!?”

This Could Be A Disaster by @the-francakes (Ron/Harry) (E, 8391)

The idea hit Harry like the Hogwarts Express: Quidditch Summer Camp. Hogwarts would open for one month during the Summer to students wishing to practice flying and Quidditch. It could either be the best idea he’d ever had or a complete disaster./Something Harry reminded himself as he leaned into Ron and caught the scent of his woodsy aftershave. He tried to ignore how Ron’s warmth lit his entire body on fire./“This is going to be the best Summer. Better than when you blew up your Aunt,” Ron grinned, hardly noticing a thing. Ron’s obliviousness was probably Harry’s only saving grace at this point./Harry’s heart flipped; this would most definitely be a disaster.

I like your skirt by @the-francakes (Ron/Harry) (E, 22443)

Harry looks up, shocked at first, then flushing and bashful. “Thanks.”/Ron nods and swallows. “Should I, um, would you like me to use different pronouns? Or a name?”/“No. Just Harry, still he and him.” he says with a smile, “ I just found this skirt in Sirius’ wardrobe and thought, well, I liked it.”/“I like it, too.”/“You said that already.” Harry smiles wryly, making Ron blush up to the tips of his ears. Yes, he did say that, but, well, he’s figuring out he might have always been a little attracted to Harry, he supposes, and this skirt is just proving it's more than just a little.

An Empathetic Response by @quietlemonhush (James/Regulus) (E, 2795)

There were more than two hundred of Britain’s wizarding elite gathered here, which meant it was a formal event, which meant Regulus was wearing dress robes, which meant of course James was horny. It was pathological.

stiletto knife by @broomsticks (fem!Lucius/James) (M, 200)

A little lamb is caught in a trap. frankenfests feb day 4: kinkuary's genderbend, shipuary's james/lucius, femslash fuckery's humiliation/degradation, febuwhump's knife to throat.

HP Kinkuary 2023 Collection: genderbend by @schmem14 (fem!Severus/Gilderoy) (E)

Severine Snape hates her face, her job, and her hideous body. Most of all, she hates the way bimbo dream boat Professor Lockhart makes her weak at the knees.

HP Kinkuary 2023 Collection: medical play by @schmem14 (Minerva/Poppy) (E)

As captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Minerva has many excuses to visit the hospital wing…

HP Kinkuary 2023 Collection: fabric play by @schmem14 (Pansy/Hermione) (E)

Princess Pansy decides to pamper her lady’s maid Hermione for the day… (Royalty AU)

Smile by @sunlightdaydream @a-loveunlaced (Fleur/Angelina) (M, 2986, Art)

The world can be a cruel place, even for those who once were truly confident and happy, but none of us is really lost, we just sometimes need a nudge in the right direction to love ourselves again.

Just Out Of Reach by daisymondays (Pansy/Ginny) (T, 2449)

Pansy Parkinson had always longed for the sky, but it is years before she is brave enough to take it.

Moonlight by @acnelli (Parvati/Lavender) (G 761)

It was a random morning after a nightshift, but the moonlight revealed something beautiful to Parvati.

the difference between (being fucked and being taken) by LumosLyra (Pansy/Percy) (E, 1692)

“You’re staring, Miss Parkinson,” he says, hand curling around the frame of the door that opens into the loo./She’s too tired and hot to deny it, no matter how she’ll have to see him Monday in the Wizengamot chambers. “What if I am, Councillor Weasley?”

Knot in the Job Description by @theresthesnitch (Kingsley/Percy, Sirius/Kingsley, Sirius/Kingsley/Percy) (E, 4121)

Minister of Magic Kingsley simply has to go to this meeting, even if he's going into a rut. Luckily his assistant Percy can multitask: taking his knot and attending the meeting.

HP Kinkuary 2023 Collection: size kink by @schmem14 (E) (Draco/Harry/Dennis, Draco/Harry)

Harry and Draco are on the hunt for the perfect tiny snack…

[lumosatnight]

✨ Hey, I'm Lani! ✨

My writing on AO3: lumosatnight

My rec lists on Tumblr: #lumosinthelibrary

💫 ABOUT ME 💫

Hello and welcome to my blog! I mostly write in the HP fandom, but I also dabble in a few other fandoms and mediums. I am pro-SALS, YKINMKATO, and DLDR. Since many of my works contain explicit or dark content, minors DNI! I love Drarry, rare pairs, and anything femslash!

If you have questions, want to share a rec, or just want to chat, feel free to send an ask, DM me, or find me chilling on the HP SAFFICS Discord server.

Find out more About Me or see a Masterlist of my works. (If the links don't work on mobile, they are also listed in my profile.)

🌟 MODDING 🌟

I tend to be a bit fest crazy. Here are some things I'm currently modding.

@hpsaffics : HP femslash Discord and events

@hp-rarepairs : HP rare pairs Discord and events

@hssrarepairs : HP Secret Santa Rare Pairs (runs biyearly)

@microficmay : May daily prompt challenge 50 words of less

@hp-soulmates : HP fest for soulmates and soulbonds

@hpdrizzle : HP fest for weather

@hpsnooze : HP prompt challenge for sleeping

—

Unsure where to start? Try my Author's Favorites (aka the works I'm most proud of).

Thanks for checking out my blog! -Lani 💙🌈

[danpuff-ao3]

@broomsticks, leftsideisdown, Jackie, whatever you know this fabulous human as, we can all agree on "wow what a rockstar." In fact, I got so caught up in compiling some excellent fic of hers, that I nearly forgot "but wait! There's more!"

Listen, her pinned post on Tumblr alone is incredible. Look at that organization! So easy to find anything you could want to peruse on a given day! Then...the meta?? The STATS? Okay the stats meta blows my mind because I'm nerdy enough to like stat talk but allergic enough to math to have 0 comprehension of numbers. Which boils down to "please don't make me touch a number, but I'd sure love to watch you play with them!" Like...what a nerd! I say, with the utmost respect and admiration. I'm geeking out over her geeking out, I swear. But ALSO...recs!!!!! All of that on top of being a prolific and varied creator, which is rad as hell! Her brain? I love it.

But also...what a sweet and supportive human! Also, did I mention cool? Very cool. I always love seeing what new thing she's chatting about, creating, or reblogging. One of my favorite people to follow, I swear!

So now...let's get into the goods!

Fics

the dark side of the moon

Luna/Bellatrix. Rated: T. Words: 200. Implied past Pandora/Bellatrix. Implied/referenced character death. HP Shipuary 2023. Kinkuary 2023. Femslash Fuckery 2023.

Luna grew up knowing two Bellas.

flowers kiss and miss

Lily/Narcissa. Rated: T. Words: 1,400. 14 drabbles. Non-linear narrative. Fluff. Romance. Angst. Secret relationship. Implied character death. Implied necromancy. Ambiguous/open ending.

She thinks mermaids are red-haired. She thinks they sing. She thinks they’re beautiful.

For Everything a Season

Dolores/Marge. Rated: G. Words: 300. Crack treated seriously. Romance. Christmas.

There were many, many reasons why they would not work. 

She bred bulldogs, for Merlin’s sake. She broke at least one teacup a week, she snored like a herd of stampeding hippogriffs, and she never cleaned her hair out from the shower drain. 

Oh, and she was a Muggle.

Hers

Cho/Fleur. Rated: T. Words: 700. POV First Person.

At the Yule Ball, a test of loyalty.

Sealed with a kiss

Bellatrix/Pandora. Rated: T. Words: 200. Secret admirer. Getting together. Hogwarts era.

Pandora's secret admirer is not one to be messed with.

Whatever You Want

Hermione/Minerva. Rated: M. Words: 200. Student/teacher. Dom/sub.

Hermione just wishes to please!

which one of us will survive the other

Lily/Petunia. Implied Petunia/Vernon. Implied Lily/James. Rated: M. Words: 1,292. Sibling incest. Dub-con. Infidelity. Canon character death. Halloween '81.

Petunia’s wanted magic her whole life. Then again, she’s always wanted what she couldn’t have. What she shouldn’t want.

One night, all her dreams come true.

Meta (Stats)

What was the HP fandom on AO3 writing in 2022?

more miscellaneous stats for HP fics updated in 2022 

wolfstar fandom survey results (part 3 includes astrology, so how could I not include it??)

hp character overrepresentation in fanon vs canon: more random-ass stats!!

atyd fic popularity stats

Recs

femslash fic recs: ginny + infidelity

HP fic rec list: underrated gems of 2022

a wormtail week works rec list

strange little girls: a rarepair (mostly femslash) HP fic rec list

also Mutuals March???? Incredible!!!!

for an explanation about Mutuals March, or to figure out why i wrote you a thing, please check out this post.

[consistentsquash]

Actually there is a Snarry fic!!! Sneaky Snarry in a femslash fic. But lots of it! @danpuff-ao3 go for this one. It's absolutely amazing!!!

Link: Candles Lit Against the Dark Type: Fic Age-Range Category: Five Character(s)/Pairing(s): Severus, Minerva/Wilhelmina, assorted others Rating: PG Summary: It's been a few months since Minerva's retirement, and she'd promised Wil a dinner out. Before she knows it, friends start turning up on her doorstep and then at the pub, not least among them a certain spy who came in from the cold.

Harry had inched over until he was standing knee to knee with Severus. "You'd be surprised. I've developed an interest in a lot of things I never thought I would."

I’m reminded by the fact I forgot to post about my latest chapter that Snapecase has been running for weeks now and I need to promote that, too! I’m participating in this round, along with a lovely group of writers and at least one artist. I’ve read most of the fics and commented on about half (I’m perpetually behind, this should not be news to anybody), and there are many fascinating, sometimes sad, sometimes perceptive and funny stories this year. The majority of the entries make for quick reading, and I never cease to marvel at new takes and new angles on each decade of Severus’s life. He is, shall we say, the gift that keeps on giving. The fest has at least a week of posting left, I believe. I highly recommend it, and not just because I signed up for it!

[sitp-recs]

considering is close to halloween now (ok it’s october 1st but lmao) do you have any spooky / halloween related recs? it can be drarry or femslash or wolfstar or whatever. i’ve never read any fic in the hp fandom with halloween in mind before :0

Happy Halloween season! 🎃 Absolutely, I don’t have the stomach for gore but I do love myself some spooky reads. Here are some of my faves - they’re all Drarry but I’d suggest checking the 2022 HP Fear Fest masterlist. Enjoy! 👻

I Demand a Soft Epilogue by @the-starryknight (M, 1k)

James didn't arrive on the Hogwarts Express, and so Harry hasn't slept in a week. Something has brought him back to the stoop outside a building marked "Library" in gold letters. He's going to go inside. Maybe the Librarian can help.

The Heart of the Manor by kedavranox (M, 4k)

In his efforts to remove the taint Voldemort left on the Manor, Draco hires a team of Curse-Breakers. But what will happen when they stumble upon something older and more insidious than simple Dark magic?

The Other Cottage by @corvuscrowned (T, 6.5k)

If Pansy wasn’t shagging Ginny Weasley, Draco would never have been dragged to Luna’s ridiculous Halloween party in the first place - meaning he wouldn't be sitting in the corner of the room with Harry Potter all night. But when a strange comet passes overhead, things start to get even weirder than usual.

Doppelganger by @writcraft (M, 7k)

It was just a silly dare, but one ill-advised trip into the Forbidden Forest changes Harry’s life forever.

Saltwater Stain by @the-starryknight (M, 9k)

Seven days stuck on a boat investigating a rogue ghost wouldn't be so bad if Harry didn't want Draco so much. Draco has his rules and Harry's content to follow them, but the air feels different away from the shore. Is it possible that the sea could offer Harry something impossible on land?

And So Death Took by @icmezzo (E, 25k)

Fairy tales may soothe small children into slumber, but some stories themselves refuse to sleep. The Tale of Three Brothers, retold.

In Our Blood by secretsalex (E, 38k)

Draco is an accomplished pure-blood curse breaker, and Harry is tasked with accompanying him on his latest job—cleaning up the Van Boer mansion, which has been under a devastating fertility curse for seven generations.

Yours is the Earth (Hold On, Hold On) by chickenlivesinpumpkin (E, 127k)

After a serious accident in the Forbidden Forest, Draco's personality begins to undergo subtle changes. At first, Harry credits this to a new enthusiasm for life. But as the days pass and Draco's behavior becomes more and more mysterious, Harry begins to suspect that something bigger--and darker--is at work.

Forgive Those Who Trespass by Lomonaaeren (E, 135k)

Harry Potter was convinced he had an ordinary, if inconvenient, life. Then Ron and Hermione vanished in the Department of Mysteries. And the only person who may know where they are is a mute Draco Malfoy.

[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)

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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

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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! 

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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?

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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.

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OKAY NO VERY LAST ONE

@consistentsquash's: